Cameron's Expedition
by ReaganCaseyFan
Summary: Set in the TSCC Universe of Cameron Grows Up/Future Cameron/Cameron's Revenge. John has decided to explore the areas north of TechCom City. John and Cameron lead an expedition in search of supplies, technology and discovery. Unknown enemies lie in wait as the expedition travels north. Court intrigue commences as the Connors strengthen their hold over TechCom. Jameron.
1. Chapter 1

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter One – Trouble in Paradise**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

"No. That's final Cameron. I have made my decision. The broad plan has been approved."

Cameron glared at John, annoyed by his persistence. "You have ignored every objection I have made."

"No, I haven't," John replied with firmness. "Each and every objection was duly noted, considered and deemed either irrelevant or of insufficient concern to alter my decision."

"This is a bad decision John."

"Enough. I have decided." John lowered his chin in order to look over his new reading glasses and glared at Cameron in anger. Raising his voice slightly he continued, "This is not your husband speaking now. This is the General. I have made my decision. It is final."

He watched Cameron closely. Pushing any Terminator once they had decided to be stubborn was not something one did without caution. His wife was clad in only a lacey pair of purple panties and a too small, thin cotton top with spaghetti straps. John smiled inwardly at her attire. Cameron clearly did not intend to give up the fight easily.

"John…"

"No," he barked, startling himself and Cameron.

"Enough," he snarled, suddenly irritated by her persistence. "This is both your husband and the General speaking now." Wanting to drive home his point, John spoke slowly, pausing between each word, "my…decision…is…final."

Cameron's big brown eyes suddenly flashed blue light from the optical sensors beneath the synthetic flesh that composed the organic covering of her eyes.

"Cameron, no more arguing. No scheming. No manipulating. No conniving. Turn off your infiltrator program and leave it off until I tell you otherwise. Now get in bed."

John took his glasses off, put them on his bedside table, tossed the maps he'd been examining on the floor and cut off the lamp.

"Good night Mrs. Connor."

He proceeded to pull the covers up under his chin and roll over on his right side, turning his back to Cameron. By squinting slightly, he could read his battered digital clock on his bedside table. He wondered how long before Cameron would lie down and if she would try to follow her usual custom of using John for a pillow.

After seventeen minutes John decided he was too sleepy to care anymore and closed his eyes to go to sleep. In less than a minute as he began to drift off, he felt Cameron push on his left shoulder. Wanting to go to sleep, John ignored Cameron.

Cameron on the other hand had the advantage of not needing much sleep. She poked John again.

"What Cameron?"

"You are actually going to go to sleep?"

"Yes, I had planned on it. That is what you usually do after you tell someone good night."

"I want to talk about this."

"I don't."

"You're being stubborn John."

"No, you are. I've made my decision. You don't have to like it but you are going to obey orders."

"John, this is a dangerous decision."

"Cameron, everything we do is dangerous."

"John…"

"That's it," John muttered. He stood up and walked clumsily in the dark to the small closet in their bedroom dragging his pillow. He stood up on his toes and grabbed the stack of clean, folded blankets from the top shelf.

"I'm sleeping on the couch. Good night."

Stumbling in the dark of the bunker, John managed to slam his bare foot into the end table by the couch. Gritting his teeth in pain he simply fell on the couch. Once the pain lessened, John pulled the blankets over him. Realizing he'd dropped his pillow, John slipped out of the couch on to the floor. Not taking additional chances, he crawled on all fours until he managed to locate his pillow.

Trying for a second time to get comfortable on the couch, John realized this was the first time in his married life he'd slept alone by choice on the couch. In fact, he'd never slept alone unless either he or Cameron was in the hospital or deployed.

Dismissing the realization, John also noted Cameron had never been so openly defiant in questioning one of his decisions before. Her normal strategy was to wear him down with questions, assorted manipulation, seduction and enlisting the aid of his mother or Derek. Pouting worked well at times and so did sheer stubbornness.

This time Cameron had quickly moved to defiance. Despite being dressed for seduction, Cameron had abandoned that tactic without even attempting to seduce John.

John shrugged. He'd made his decision. Cameron would have to deal with it.

 **Next Morning – TechCom Central Command…**

"Just what did you do last night to wind Cameron up?"

John lifted his head, straining his sore neck muscles from his night alone on the couch. Sarah stood in the door of his office, clearly annoyed with him.

"I said no."

"Well, do something. Tin Miss is liable to go bad and terminate half the population of TechCom City."

"I'm not doing a thing. Cameron's going to have to realize she's not getting her way."

Looking back down at the list he was making, John heard Sarah sigh in disgust and leave. Before he could regain his concentration the family sound of Derek's boots entering his office forced John to look up again.

"You're a brave man John. Sleeping on the couch, alone, with an angry female Terminator on the loose in your bunker. Wow! You have my respect."

John frowned at Derek, not amused in the slightest by his uncle's lighthearted sarcastic jesting.

"I hardly slept. I'm tired, annoyed and my neck's killing me. Cameron can just get over it."

"Glad it's you and not me taking the stand," Derek quipped as he sat down in a chair and leaned it back against the wall.

"Dad! What did you and mom fight about?"

Hailey stormed into the office, clearly outdone by the reception she'd received from her mother at breakfast.

"We had a disagreement. I made my final decision known. Your mother is not happy about not getting her way."

"That and you leaving before she could argue with you this morning. Dad, please, if you make mom mad like that again, man-up and stick around for mom's venting. She unloaded on Grandma, Ruth and me at breakfast. The Old Man leashed Sammy up and disappeared and I don't blame either of them for fleeing."

Derek burst out laughing, irritating John even more.

"Hailey, school. Derek shut up and get out of my office."

John didn't even bother to look up to see which family member slammed the door on the way out.

 **That Night – The Connor Family Bunker…**

Sensing a presence that could only be Cameron, John looked up from the long list he'd been compiling. Standing with her hands on her hips was his wife, still angry with him and still determined to change his mind.

"Back for round two," he growled.

"How could you not sleep with me," Cameron snapped back.

"Easy. You defied your husband. You defied your General. Remember your wedding vows? I guess love, honor and obey meant only when you felt like it. Same with your officer's oath I suppose."

John pushed his reading glasses back up his nose and continued examining his list. After several minutes of silence he glanced at Cameron.

She clearly looked unhappy, even with her blank expression. John noticed she was dressed for bed but not for seduction. He sighed and pulled back the covers on Cameron's side of the bed and watched his wife as she slipped her legs under the blankets and leaned back against the wall, looking straight ahead. John watched her for several minutes, his heart breaking as he looked at a clearly miserable Cameron. John almost gave in and reached for his wife to take her into his arms and console her. Almost.

Cameron had to learn to control her Terminator stubbornness. He wasn't going to let her get the best of him. Not this time.

She'd never acted like this in combat or when planning an operation. Cameron gave her input and accepted his decisions, even when she disagreed. She'd never acted like this before.

"Why are you behaving like this?"

"Because my husband is making a mistake."

"I've made mistakes before and you did not act this way."

"That was different."

"Hardly, my mistakes in battle cost lives."

"John, this is foolish. It is an unnecessary risk."

"I disagree. What is an unnecessary risk is burning our key personnel out. What is an unnecessary risk is not knowing what is out there. If I don't get out from behind that desk, I'll lose my mind. And then how useful is the great General John Connor going to be then?"

Cameron folded her arms across her chest, saying nothing.

"What is really bothering you?"

Cameron shrugged.

"Fine. When you feel like telling me, I'll listen. This is getting old."

John tossed his glasses on the bedside table. The list hit the floor and he turned off his lamp.

"Good night Cameron."

John made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. Cameron could just stew all night if she was going to act like this.

From Cameron's side of the bed came a soft whisper.

"I love you. Do you love me?"

John rolled his eyes in the dark. This had gone on long enough. He raised his left arm and in a second Cameron was pressed against his side, nestling close.

"I love you, you love me," John whispered.

"I will not argue about this anymore," Cameron whispered.

"Thank you."

Something told John Cameron wasn't done.

"Since I am going to obey your command, I want to go all the way to the Cascade Mountains and return along the coast."

John stared at the ceiling. The other shoe was about to drop.

"Anything else?"

"A third HK and additional troops."

"Good night Cameron."

"Good night John."

 **The Next Morning - TechCom Command Central…**

"So what was she so upset about then," Derek asked.

"Thinks it's too risky for me to go. Can you believe that? I was standing next to her when Cameron terminated Skynet California. How many missions and raids have I led? How many battles?"

"John, you know how Cameron is when it comes to your safety."

John grimaced in frustration. "Yeah. How can I forget? I think the truth of the matter is Cameron simply doesn't want to go on vacation without our entire family."

"She has to realize we can't all go on leave at the same time. Someone has to mind the fort."

"I also think it's been along time since she hasn't been able to get her way," John grinned.

"I hear you. I just try to not let it get that far with Sarah."

 **Two Weeks Later - TechCom HK Hanger…**

Hailey and Ruth climbed up the short boarding ladder with their backpacks carrying one old, battered suitcase each. The inseparable pair stored their gear and promptly departed.

"Be back in an hour," John yelled as the two vanished into the tunnel to the underground railroad leading back to the main portion of TechCom City.

"They'll be back on time," Derek assured John. "Especially since they dumped the twins last week."

John shook his head. "Never that simple. Never. I seem to recall the two of us having a few rough patches with our wives before getting married."

Derek laughed. "Give me some credit John. Those two have been assigned duty on the far Southwestern Perimeter as part of their ROTC class requirements. The girls have no idea where to find them and Ellison has added encryptions Ruth doesn't now about so she can't hack in and locate them with the surveillance network."

The two officers watched as the three HKs received their final ground check by the maintenance crews.

"Three?"

"It ended the fight. Besides, it gives us extra space to bring back more salvage or any refugees we might want to bring back."

Emerging from the tunnel was an unhappy pair of girls, followed by the Old Man with the family dog Sammy dressed in a small shirt. The T-600 carried a small pack, a portable kennel and a box containing dog food. Following close behind was Weaver, dressed smartly in tailored fatigues and boots. Wilhelm followed, encumbered with his own pack, Catherine's and four suitcases which he carried two to a hand.

Bringing up the rear was Savannah and he beau, Lt. Dan, each laden with a single pack. Following close behind was John Henry pulling a dolly loaded with storage containers.

A pair of T-600s greeted them, relieving the group of their equipment and storing it on the HK designated for the General's use.

"Dad, the Old Man wouldn't let us go back to the city."

"Sir, I suspect the girls were planning to engage in questionable activity. Departure is eminent and tardiness is not acceptable."

John responded by glaring at Hailey in silence, indicating he agreed with the Old Man's assessment of the situation.

The sound of Catherine's voice emanated from the HK as she provided "guidance" on how her gear was to be stored to the T-600s. Wilhelm shook his head, indicating he was glad it was enlisted personnel and not him dealing with Catherine at the moment.

"Ready to go on your working leave, Lt, Savannah?" John asked the young couple.

"Yes!" Savannah gushed. "I haven't set foot outside the perimeter in so long I can't remember the last time I was I in the Wastelands."

Wilhelm cast a menacing glance at his young second in command who remained silent.

"General, has Commander Connor arrived yet?"

"No, Cameron and Sarah seem to have some last minute packing that needed to be done."

Wilhelm nodded, cast one more glare at Lt. Dan, and left to save the T-600s from his wife.

John approached John Henry who was waiting patiently after delivering the crates his sister brought.

"You have the lists of items we need General?"

"John Henry, I think Catherine has them in triplicate and stored permanently in her memory banks. We'll do our best to locate as many items on your list as possible."

The genius Terminator nodded, took his leave of the General and Derek and made his way towards the HK where the voices of his mother, sister and a beleaguered Wilhelm could now be heard.

Three pilots approached to go over the first day's flight plan with John, distracting him from the chaos surrounding the loading of the HKs, causing him to miss Cameron and Sarah's arrival.

Half an hour later, Cameron approached John, exuding an air of caution. "John?"

He looked up from the final checklist he was examining.

"I'm not changing my mind."

Cameron frowned, indicating her displeasure.

John tossed the clipboard on the table he was standing by and hugged his wife. He felt Cameron tense in his grasp, uncertain how to respond to him.

"We have to explore this territory. John Henry's engineers need supplies and materials we cannot find locally. We need to know what military threats are out there. And I for one, need a change. It's a working leave Cameron. You need it as much as I do."

Taking in a deep breath, John held it and let it out, trying to relax himself and his wife. "The girls are with us. Hailey needs this kind of experience. Ruth and the Old Man will be there to protect her. Wilhelm and Catherine are as lethal a pair of Terminators as we have in TechCom. It will do them good for Catherine to be able to do what she was built for.

Savannah is here and we have three medics. We have Sammy and three warning dogs. We're traveling in the Command and Control HK. Wilhelm and his squad will be in his jump HK and the extra troops you insisted on will be traveling in the Gunship HK.

Sarah and Derek are more than capable of being in command while we're gone. The Assassin will be in the Wastelands with his scouts on patrol. Ellison will manage security like he does every single day. Father Hidalgo will run the school and everything else he takes care of. Last of all, Doctor Johnson is there in the Medical Center. It's all covered."

Cameron leaned back against John's arms and pulled on the faded cloth of the old t-shirt he wore. She kept her head down, not looking up at her husband.

Gently, John lifted her chin, forcing Cameron to look him in the eyes. "Tin Miss, I'm not the helpless 16 year old you met so long ago."

"I know you aren't."

John smiled at his wife and reached up to pull her hair behind Cameron's left ear. "You don't like not getting your way," he whispered as he tickled* Cameron behind her ear playfully. She squirmed half-heartedly in John's arms, not making a serious attempt to escape.

"Probably not," she whispered in reply, finally pushing John's hand away and kissing him.

"C'mon, let's go say good bye to Sarah and Derek. H-Hour is in three minutes."

* - see _**Cameron versus Derek**_ for an explanation.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Two – Signs of What's to Come**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Command and Control HK – Flying Due West…**

Cameron watched John from her seat in the modified HK. Sitting next to her watching the terrain below pass by with multiple bandwidth binoculars was her husband. She watched in fascination as John looked back and forth between the incomplete maps TechCom's recon patrols had created and the real terrain below.

It was obvious to her how much John was enjoying the birds eye view as their small squadron cautiously made its way east.

"You like maps," Cameron monotoned.

"Every since I was a little boy," John replied. "It was one of the few constants I could count on you know. I would sit and look at them for hours and imagine I was traveling to all the interesting places on the map."

John looked up at Cameron and smiled at her for a moment before looking back through the viewing portal. "Make sure we are recording all this in every light spectrum. I want detailed maps of this area when we get back."

"John, that's the third time you have given me that order in the last 47 minutes and 28 seconds," Cameron reminded him. "All recording devices are working within design parameters."

Turbulence bounced the HK for a moment, reminding John why he preferred to be on the ground, particularly when flying in the cold, pitch-black sky of the post-Judgment Day world.

"Sir, we'll be coming up on Airbase S-14 in five. We'll be adjusting course to veer south by southwest in order stay outside of their known radar range."

"The General acknowledges," Cameron replied, not wishing to break John's reverie as he watched the ground move by below. Reaching into a satchel on the deck at her feet Cameron withdrew the most up-to-date map of the airbase since the heavy bombing raids launched following the failed attack by the hybrid forces occupying the former Skynet base.

She gently poked John with the corner of the map. "Here is the map you will want. It is the most recent we have."

Glancing back at his wife, John smiled at her thoughtfulness, trading maps with her. As he opened up the map and refolded it, John counted the number of seconds it would take Cameron to fold the map she'd taken from him back into its original shape.

"Your slowing down," he teased. "Took you nearly four seconds."

"I was noting the changes you penciled in," Cameron monotoned back, with just the slightest hint of irritation.

"Come look at this," John said softly. Cameron moved quickly forward, adjusting her optics as she viewed the old airbase as they approached.

"John," Cameron warned, "they have SAM's installed. Eastern European in manufacture, probably Czech or Russian!"

"Have they locked on with radar or laser," John shouted.

"No sir," the navigator replied. "Appears we caught them napping."

"Get me the Gunship," John ordered.

Within seconds he was patched through to the T-888 who served as the Gunship's Chief Gunnery officer.

"Any signs they are about to light up a rocket?"

"No, General. I have the crews in sight. They are definitely aware of us and ready to move into action. Their targeting radar is powered up but not emitting. I have air-to-ground missiles locked on target and the turret guns are manned. Awaiting your orders."

John nodded in approval. "They've seen us. Clearly they have improved their passive radar. They also don't want to engage us which is fine."

Cameron looked back at John with a look of disapproval on her face. "We should degrade their capability while we have the upper hand and the opportunity."

"No. We terminated the rogue T-800 who commanded the group who attacked us (see _**Cameron's Revenge**_ ) and destroyed their airborne capability afterwards. They have a right to defend themselves. It's obvious they don't want trouble from us."

The small squadron continued its flight to the east, giving the damaged base a wider berth.

An hour passed in silence with Cameron brooding over the missed opportunity to inflict more damage on an old enemy. Wilhelm and Catherine had weighed in on the subject as well, letting John know they agreed with Cameron.

Noticing John was no longer watching the terrain pass below, instead writing furiously in a notepad, Cameron focused her optics on the notes her husband scribbled down.

"Diplomacy lectures?"

Her outburst was rewarded with a stern glance from John as he looked over his new reading glasses. "Not every situation requires termination. You have to learn that."

"They attacked us," Cameron monotoned.

"And we successfully defended our selves, counterattacked, killed their T-800 commander and destroyed their air capability. The human Major in command now probably wants nothing more than to keep his personnel safe and stabilize their base."

"If we terminated them, there would no longer be a threat."

Her narrow, stubborn response elicited a sigh from John.

"And it would require we expend resources we can ill afford to allocate to patrol this area and keep it free of threats, possibly more powerful and aggressive threats than the one who currently occupies the base."

John pulled out the next map covering the terrain they were now flying over. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Cameron staring into the empty blackness with her head tilted to the right. He smiled, wondering if she would agree with logic. That an alliance with an enemy they knew and had defeated soundly might be of greater value than committing genocide."

"It is a logical concept," Cameron concluded. "So long as the Airbase S-14 force does not threaten us it does make sense for them to control the area until we decide otherwise. Their motivation to keep the area clear will be higher than ours and allow us to utilize our resources in other more critical areas."

"Would you like to lead the delegation to negotiate the alliance," John said with a grin. He was rewarded with a downward tilt of her chin and upturning of her eyes from Cameron as she frowned slightly.

"I'll take that as a no," John said, returning to his maps.

 **One Hour Later – Flying Due West…**

"Sir, that's the Pacific Ocean," the pilot informed John.

"Take us out about five miles. I want to see if the weather conditions change at all over water," John ordered.

"Yes, sir," the T-888 replied in his monotone.

"Take us down as low as you think is safe, I want to accumulate as much data as possible. On our flight back in, take us up as high as you think safe. Same thing. We need to collect data."

As the HK flew over the shoreline and out over the dark waters of the Pacific, the turbulence immediately picked up, bouncing the HK about. After two miles of no relenting in the turbulence, John had had enough. Ordering the pilot to move to a higher altitude to avoid turbulence, John reclined his seat slightly, feeling a little green around the gills.

The squadron maintained its formation as it reached the five-mile mark and began to turn back to the mainland, climbing in altitude as it did so. With the turbulence showing signs of lessening, John relaxed his grip on the armrests of his seat.

"Sir, we have a missile launch."

"Climb immediately, deploy countermeasures and bring the Gunship into position," John ordered.

HKs were never meant to be maneuverable aircraft or fast, making them sitting ducks for most traditional manned aircraft and just about every anti-aircraft missile ever put into production.

"Missile has acquired us. Lock is on."

Cameron reached over to check John's parachute. She'd won that fight with ease. John simply did not feel like fighting her over every single safety precaution on the expedition.

"Fifteen seconds before impact you will jump. I will follow. Inflate your floatation device and lose your chute. I will acquire you as quickly as possible and tow you to shore."

"Relax, Cameron. The Gunship's turrets have dual 20 mm mini-guns. They will lay down a blanket of depleted uranium in the path of the missile. It won't be able to evade all of the projectiles in its flight path."

Placing his hands behind his head, John leaned back, exuding confidence he was right. Cameron fidgeted, clearly counting seconds.

"Sir, if you look out through the port viewing port you can see the tracers."

John and Cameron both unlocked their chairs and turned them 180 degrees. Red and green tracers filled the sky between the squadron of HKs as they climbed and the inbound path of the missile, broking the pitch-black darkness of the night. John and Cameron both started in surprise at the sudden fiery explosion as the missile exploded, lighting up the dark sky with red, white and orange bands of light for a few intense seconds.

"Sir, no damage. The other pilots indicate no damage as well, though Mrs. Weaver can be heard in the background on the Airborne unit's HK."

John chuckled out loud, "I bet she can."

"This," Cameron announced firmly with her arms folded across her chest, "is precisely why this was a bad idea!"

"No, this is why I agreed to bring the Gunship along with us. Classic pre-Judgment Day defense against an incoming missile, fill the air around the target with so many projectiles the missile has no chance of reaching its target." John smiled at Cameron. "See, it was your idea!"

John's words took much of the steam out of Cameron's assertive attitude. She reversed her seat and locked it back into place, ignoring John. Doing the same as his wife, John decided to let Cameron pout for a while. She was entitled.

"And now we know there is a submarine lurking out there in the pacific," he whispered to himself, concerned about the surprising development.

"Sir, we are back over the mainland and should pass north of Airbase S-14 by thirty kilometers."

"Noted. Make for the coordinates I provided you for the targeted end of the first leg of our grid pattern today. Once you are in the vicinity, began your search for a place to set the birds down. The mechanics will want to give everything a good once over and we need to eat and get some rest. That includes all of the Terminators. Two hours of maintenance, no exceptions. Even my beautiful wife needs her Terminator Sleep," John teased on the comm.

Cameron motioned for John to remove his earpiece and microphone.

"What Cameron?"

"After that stunt, Sexbot is will NOT be visiting tonight," Cameron hissed through clinched teeth.

 **Three Hours Later…**

"Sir, that's as good a spot as we have been able to find."

"Fair enough, let the other pilots know and set us down."

"Absolutely not!" Cameron ordered. "Maintain altitude. I will deplane and do a ground search."

"Sir?"

"Do as the Commander says," John replied, sighing inwardly. Listening to the comm, John heard Cameron order Wilhelm and his recon squad to deploy and do a sweep. In less than a minute John watched Wilhelm and his men repel down a line into the darkness, outlined by the brilliant white light shining on the rope. Waiting on the ground already was Cameron and Lt. Dan.

In mere seconds the group vanished from sight shortly and the light was turned off, restoring the eerie pitch-black eternal night of the world they lived in. In ten minutes Cameron called, announcing the area was clear and pickets had been set. Settling down slowly in a triangle formation, the HKs landed, each with its main guns facing forward.

"We've landed sir."

"Time to stretch my legs," John announced, unbuckling and stretching. He made his way to the now open jumpdoor, just in time to see Hailey and Ruth vanish into the dark with the Old Man carrying Sammy jumping out right behind them. Taking his time, John turned to face the inside the HK while grasping the two railings that would guide him to the short ladder deployed outside.

Just as his feet touched the ground, John felt a light touch on his elbow. He turned to see Cameron looking at him, her face inches from his.

"Back on board," she commanded firmly.

"No! I want to feel solid ground beneath my feet. Besides, we'd planned on sleeping in tents. You know, camping?"

"It will be safer for you to sleep on the HK."

"Compromise, pitch our tent under the HK,, by the jump hatch."

Cameron frowned for a second, considering John's suggestion. "You are going to be difficult about this, aren't you?"

"Just as difficult as my pretty metal wife can be," John replied with a touch of sarcasm.

He watched his wife tilt her head for a moment. "You are using sarcasm."

"Yes, I am. Score one for the cyborg."

"I will consider it," Cameron responded. "I will sweep the area for any noxious insects or parasites. If there are none and the last patrol indicates the area is safe, I will permit it."

Without replying John kissed Cameron on her nose and made his way towards Wilhelm who was listening to Catherine. Evidently, the site he had selected for their tent did not meet with her approval.

 **Two Hours Later…**

The fire burned with considerable heat, lighting the area in the center of the triangle the HK's had formed but no more. A cloud of misty steam hovered above the fire as the drizzling rain was converted to steam before it could reach the TechCom personnel surrounding the fire.

"So you had already picked out the spot you really intended to pitch the tent," John whispered.

"Yes. I figured Catherine was going to be difficult and insist I move the tent at least once, so it made sense. I didn't even erect the tent completely."

"Wise move," John laughed. "Who says you can't teach an older model Terminator new tricks."

Wilhelm grinned broadly in response, displaying his freakishly white teeth.

"Cameron thinks she manipulated me into agreeing to sleep under the C&C HK. I didn't care where we pitched out tent, so long as I slept somewhere other than in that HK's troop bay."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I knew Wilhelm believed I would make him move our initial location. The actual site he selected was perfectly acceptable, so I only complained the one time," Catherine confided to Cameron.

"Males are so predictable sometimes," Cameron agreed. "For safety considerations I wanted John to pitch our tent under the C&C HK. It was easy to manipulate him into making the appropriate choice. He thinks it was his idea."

The two female Terminators enjoyed their private joke, watching their husbands and children enjoying themselves around the crackling fire.

"I wish John Henry could have come. He needs to have more experiences like this," Catherine observed. "I think Savannah is close to deciding to set the hook with Lt. Dan. If I can just keep Wilhelm from terminating him."

"If you'd like, I can issue an order or protocol. I am still his direct report in the chain of command," Cameron offered.

"No, but thank you. I keep reminding him the good Lt. is an officer and in the airborne no less. He's a gentleman and well mannered. You know just how few officers there are Savannah's age I can say that about. Wilhelm will never agree to Savannah marrying an enlisted man, or even worse, a civilian. We do have standing to consider," Catherine mused.

"Catherine, I am hesitant to admit it," Cameron said softly. "John was right to order this exploratory trip. Our people do not spend enough time in the Wastelands exploring. Neither species was meant to live underground, at least for prolonged periods of time. I don't think I've seen John this outwardly upbeat since our migration from Los Angeles."

"Both species are curious by nature Cameron. It simply can't be helped. Regardless of the dangers, Terminators and humans have to explore and learn."

 **TechCom City – Reese Family Bunker…**

"What a day," Sarah moaned as she toweled her hair dry, looking for tangles in the cracked mirror in their bedroom. "John and Cameron picked the perfect day to go on leave under the guise of a long distance exploratory patrol."

Not hearing Derek respond, she cast a glance over her shoulder at her husband as he lay in bed. The lecherous grin on his face explained his silence.

Raising her voice, Sarah spoke, "Hey, you! Eyes up here, NOT on my naked butt!"

"Ah, but what a lovely butt it is."

Wrapping the towel around her chest and covering her hips, Sarah gave Derek a dirty look.

"That's all you can think about. Have you heard a word I said?"

"Yes. It was a horrible day. The ventilator system in Central Park broke down. The irrigation system in Hydroponic Farms #4 and #5 went haywire and flooded. There were two fights at the school and Ellison caught a new T-800 and two refugees stealing from the scavenger's warehouse. John Henry reported we are nearly out of fiber optic cable so he won't be able to wire the two new tunnels until we get some more. So we can't open the two new dormitory areas."

Sarah put her hands on her hips and smiled at Derek playfully. "Okay, you were listening."

"Of course. Didn't I tell you, since Savannah implanted my new eye and the controls to my arm and leg, I can actually multitask." Derek laughed. "I can cheat. I pull down the HUD and replay what you said. I can just read it."

"Oh, you!" Sarah reached for the wet washcloth on the vanity and threw it at Derek, missing him. In the process, her sudden movement caused her towel to loosen and fall to the floor."

Derek sat up and grabbed Sarah around her waist and pulled her into his lap. In a few minutes Sarah was giggling and letting out the occasional squeal.

 **Somewhere in the Wastelands…**

John watched his daughter and Ruth play with Cameron's long tresses in the light of the dying fire. She sat patiently while the girls experimented with different styles and braiding combinations. When the girls finally perfected a French braid Cameron called it quits, shoeing the girls off to their tent with a reminder of the time they were to stand watch.

Watching his wife stroll over in her boots and tight jeans made him smile. He never tired of watching her stroll when she knew he was watching.

"It is time for you to retire for rest," Cameron monotoned.

"So long as you retire for the evening with me," he teased.

"John, I really do have to patrol tonight. We are not in the safety of our bunker in TechCom City."

Frowning, John stood to make his way their tent beneath the C&C HK. Cameron fell in beside him, taking his right hand in her left.

"I will stay with you until you are asleep and resting properly," Cameron promised. "Then I really must patrol. The girls will have to be monitored as well."

Pulling up the small box in their tent to use as a chair, John sat down to pull his boots off while Cameron fastened the entrance to the tent. Tossing his jacket aside, John pulled off his t-shirt. Standing bare-chested when Cameron turned around, John took his wife in his arms, pulling close and kissing her. Resisting at first, Cameron gave in and kissed John back.

"I told you Sexbot was not playing tonight," she whispered.

"That's okay," John whispered in her ear. "I want my wife."

 **In the Wastelands – 0500…**

Scanning the area, Cameron was pleased with the clean up done at the campsite. All personnel were accounted for and aboard their assigned HK. All traces of fire, waste, human or Terminator, had been buried to the required depth. The pickets were called in and hurriedly boarded their assigned HK. Cameron's final count matched up with the rosters.

She quickly climbed up the ladder of the C&C HK and the jumpmaster secured the hatch and boarding ladder. Making her way towards the viewing port, Cameron felt the HK begin to hover as it prepared to lift up above the dead trees surrounding the campsite. John was again viewing the landscape through his night-vision binoculars with his maps out.

Strapping herself into her viewing chair quietly, Cameron reached out and placed her hand on John's arm. She thought back to the small high school in the rural farming community when they first met. He had changed so much since she'd first rescued him all those many years ago. John looked over at his wife and smiled before going back to examining the terrain below.

"I love you, my General. You love me," Cameron said in her monotone.

John leaned back in his chair, setting his map in his lap while allowing his binoculars to fall to his chest and hang on its strap. Taking Cameron's hand in his own, John smiled at Cameron with his eyes, the crows-feet moving to communicate his happiness to her.

"I love you, my Commander, and you love me."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Three – Things Are Changing**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Somewhere North of TechCom City…**

Savannah walked slowly, carefully picking her way through the rubble strewn about the evening's chosen campsite. The dim light flickering from the subdued fire, offered both warmth and company in the grim, dark wastelands.

Spotting Cameron, Savannah made her way over towards the cyborg. Her laugh caught Cameron's attention, causing her head to spin around quickly to locate the source of the offending sound.

"I'm sorry," Savannah apologized, trying in vain not to laugh.

"Hailey and Ruth were experimenting with my hair again. Evidently Ruth found a fictional character named Pippi Longstocking with hair braids that stick out like these do," Cameron explained. "Of course, once they were done, the two promptly announced they have guard duty and disappear leaving me looking like this."

Picking up one of the boxes strewn about to use as a chair, Savannah sat down behind Cameron. "I'll fix it for you. I want to talk to you anyhow and for once we have a little privacy."

"Wilhelm and Catherine are on guard duty," Cameron stated, letting Savannah know she was aware of the reason for the timing of the visit.

"Yes, and so is Dan."

Cameron nodded her understanding as Savannah started work on the first of the awful braids sticking out at odd angles from Cameron's head. The two friends sat in silence as Savannah worked, both on Cameron's hair and the nerve to start the discussion that lay heavily on her heart. Typical of her species, Cameron was content to sit in silence, waiting for Savannah to initiate the discussion.

"How did you know?"

"That John was to become mine?"

"Yes."

Cameron tilted her head and considered the question. Savannah waited patiently, knowing Cameron was accessing countless thousands of data files in an effort to formulate the best possible answer.

"I don't know. I just knew."

"Can you at least tell me when you knew?"

"When Sarah and John pinned me between two vehicles in an effort to terminate me."

"The whole 'I love you and you love me thing?'"

"Yes. When I said it aloud, it was true. At least the statement that I loved him."

Savannah considered for a moment Cameron might not be the best individual to discuss her problem with.

Cameron surprised Savannah by speaking. "It was a horrible day, the explosion, the damage to my chip, torturing Sarah. I tried to terminate my John and he and Sarah tried to terminate me, a perfectly logical reaction to the situation. Even worse was the emotions."

"Your infiltrator program had lost control of your emotion simulator."

"Yes. I try not to think about that day. Reviewing the files is a negative experience for me."

Nodding her understanding, Savannah let the subject drop. She, like most in the Leadership Council knew the details of the horrible incident.

"I'm sorry Cameron, I shouldn't have asked."

"I loved my John before that day though," Cameron replied. "I simply was not able to recognize the fact. I had made my choice though. When I overrode the terminate command I was committed. Even though I was being manipulative when I told John I loved him and he loved me, I meant it and I hoped it was true."

"So loving John was a choice for you?"

"Love is a choice for everyone. Humans have the misfortune of having hormones involved in the process, but there is no doubt you choose."

"How can you say that Cameron? I can't help how I feel sometimes."

"Neither can I," Cameron replied, looking directly into Savannah's eyes. "But I have a choice to continue to love John after he hurts me. I choose not to terminate him when he infuriates me. When I fear he will abandon me, I choose to have faith in the love he feels for me. Everyday I choose to protect John, to care for him and his family, our clan. My clan. Love is a verb." Cameron paused for a moment, looking away from Savannah and into the fire. "You demonstrate it by your actions."

"You never feel love for John? You never feel the emotion?"

"I did not say that," Cameron answered, the light of the fire dancing in her brown eyes. "I feel many things humans do, more so now as I have experienced more and collected data for my files."

Picking up a small piece of broken wood, Cameron surprised Savannah by throwing it into the fire, a strangely human act.

"I feel many things. Some I do not like. When I think of the bitch whore Riley, I still to this second feel hate and jealousy. When I think of the assassination attempt on John at the refugee intake, I sometimes have to enter maintenance mode to reset my operating system. Comfort and security are my two favorite emotions to feel."

"Pardon me for saying so, but that's strange to hear coming from a Terminator of your standing," Savannah said respectfully.

Cameron smiled for a moment and glanced at Savannah. "Not when you are lying in the arms of your husband after intimacy, listening to him sleep peacefully. Not when you know he is safe and pleased with you, that he loves you and wants you as his mate."

"You feel insecure? After everything you and John have been through?"

"I am a machine. John is human. I fear one day the difference may become too much, even for John."

"But you could tire of being with a human, couldn't you?"

"No. Never. It is a challenge I accept. I can never learn enough to be the perfect wife for John. It is something that appeals to my Terminator nature, to have to learn constantly, to be challenged."

"Cameron, I don't think you have anything to worry about. John would be hopelessly lost without you. Not just as the General, but as an individual. You're his best friend. Not even Sarah understands him as well as you do."

Sparks lifted from the fire and drifted into the damp, misty air before being extinguished by the damp. The two sat in silence, watching the sparks and listening to the wood crack and pop in the heat of the fire. Savannah enjoyed the warmth emanating from the flames as it warmed her face and arms.

"Almost done," she told Cameron. "You'll need to wash your hair and brush it out to straighten it from the braids."

"You are undecided about Lt. Dan."

"What?" Savannah exclaimed.

"You are undecided about Lt. Dan. You do not feel you can talk to your mother about this nor can you talk to your stepfather. I doubt John Henry would be able to offer much insight of value."

Savannah's response was a deep sigh.

"He is handsome," Cameron monotoned. "Your offspring would be attractive."

"Cameron, there's more to marriage than that."

"I was teasing," Cameron monotoned. "I am fully aware marriage is complicated."

"I'm attracted to him. He's fun and I look forward to the time I spend with him."

"He treats you well, with respect. Your dignity is important to him. It is obvious to those who watch him interact with you he desires to have you become his wife."

"I've figured out that much, Cameron, it's just…"

"Selecting him would please Catherine and Wilhelm. She finds his manners charming, an essential trait for a spouse, in her mind. The fact Dan is an officer in the Airborne appeals to both of your parents. The prestige of the Airborne appeals to Catherine, and it should, and the status of being an officer is of great importance to Wilhelm."

"Suppose I want to marry a civilian, an artist or a farm worker?"

"It would be your choice," Cameron monotoned in response.

Confused by her friend's response, Savannah grunted in frustration.

"That's not a very helpful comment."

"It is factual."

"Have you anything more helpful to say?"

"You resist committing to Dan because of the suffering you have seen, in both our human and Terminator personnel. The difficult past between you and Catherine makes you desire to not consider her input in regards to a husband. Wilhelm is Wilhelm. He is a male's male. To him, service is why he was built. Military service protects the greatest number of our citizens, making it the most important service in all of TechCom. And so, he cannot comprehend anything less than the greatest commitment to service possible."

"John Henry's service is just as important. So is what I do," Savannah protested.

"I am not saying it isn't. Nor would Wilhelm."

"But you just said…"

"I said for Wilhelm, not you or your brother. Both of you serve others. That pleases him considerably, he simply does not know how to tell you."

"And you know this because?"

"He talks to John all the time about the two of you. You must know, Wilhelm feels considerable anxiety over this issue. He is conflicted."

"The great and mighty Major Wilhelm conflicted over who I pick for a husband? I can't picture that. I'm sorry Cameron, I just can't picture that."

"Catherine is fearful she will relapse. She desperately wants to see you produce a grandchild, so she can show you she can love a small child. That she really did love you when she assumed responsibility for you. As a T-1000 she did not know what to do, how to mother properly. Wilhelm wants this badly for her.

He wants you to be happy, to choose who will make you happy. If you do not choose in a way that pleases Catherine, there will be conflict between the two of you, which makes him feel inadequate. Think for a moment the anxiety that would cause an Uncle Bob model T-800?"

"I suppose," Savannah admitted.

"He cannot understand why you would not select an officer. Wilhelm has tried to be a good parent, even if in a difficult situation. He knows only to lead by example. Not selection an officer is rejecting him and the effort he has made as your stepfather."

"I love Wilhelm. It took awhile for John Henry and me to accept him but he's been wonderful, accept for the entire dating thing. He keeps Catherine in line and she just dotes on him."

"The dating thing," Cameron grinned. "Hailey and Ruth have similar complaints. Fathers are not trusting of the males courting or pursuing their daughters. It is annoying, but it is one of the ways they demonstrate love."

"I suppose. I can do with out it though."

"Do not say that," Cameron monotoned. "I had no father who valued my virtue and was determined to protect me until I was married to a loving husband."

Cameron took a piece of rebar lying by her boots and poked the fire, stirring the embers, bringing the fire back to life. "Only you can make the decision. Fear of what might happen is what you must overcome."

"Fear of what might happen? How do you overcome that? He could be killed in some raid or his HK blown out of the sky? Suppose I get fat? What if I can't bear children?"

"All of those things could happen," Cameron replied, watching the flames dance. "I know exactly how you feel. But doing nothing means a life without the man you love. Sharing everything with him, becoming a single unit."

Cameron stood up and offered the length of rebar to Savannah.

"I would be so much less without my John. I would not be happy, I know that much. It is a choice you have to make Savannah, a choice only you can make. Good night."

Savannah watched her friend vanish into the endless darkness without a sound. Watching the darkness, she saw a brief flash of light as Cameron entered her tent under the Command & Control HK. Glancing down at her watch, Savannah noted she had only twenty minutes until it was time to stand watch. She gave the fire a good stir and added some dry branches. Watching the fire leap up to consume the fresh fuel, Savannah considered all of what Cameron had told her.

Cameron was right. Fear separated Savannah from a life that could be wonderfully fulfilling. Or fear could be a proper warning steering her away from a lifetime of pain and misery.

For Cameron, the choice she had made despite the fear had been the correct one. Cameron and John's marriage was not an easy one. Yet every citizen of TechCom looked up to and admired the two leaders.

John loved his lethal wife and treated her with dignity and respect. Savannah, like many others had witnessed first hand the compassion he demonstrated towards Cameron. Yet he was a great general, commanding fear and respect from those he commanded and ruled.

Cameron had become a beloved leader, despite being a most lethal Terminator. She had come to represent the model of commitment and dedication to others that was needed in TechCom's fledgling society. Women adored how Cameron dotted on John and Hailey, shamelessly displaying love in the manner only Terminators could. With eternal vigilance, Cameron loved, served, cared for and protected John and everyone in his family, and she did it without shame. Something every mother could understand, human or metal.

 **The Connor Tent…**

His study of maps had been broken when Cameron had entered their tent. John had shifted, trying to get comfortable on the air mattress produced for the expedition. Shamelessly, Cameron had undressed, carefully folding her clothes and placing them in a neat stack by a box containing items only Cameron knew of.

Pulling a pair of purple cotton underwear from a pouch in her backpack, Cameron quickly pulled them on. She smiled at John as she retrieved a t-shirt and pulled it over her head.

"It's colder than in our bunker," she monotoned, opening a box and pulling out two worn blankets. As she spread them over their makeshift bed, Cameron frowned. "I hope to obtain some new, unused blankets while on this expedition."

"These are fine," John encouraged, patting Cameron's arm as she adjusted the blankets a final time.

"Do you wish to study your maps still," she inquired politely.

"Yes, but I get the feeling you have something else in mind." John folded up the maps carefully and closed the notebook he had been writing in. He set them on the cold ground next to the small battery operated light and turned it off, filling the tent with a sudden darkness.

Before he could brace himself, Cameron was nestled against him. Carefully, John pulled the blankets up around her face and made a show of tucking her in, knowing full well Cameron did not need the warmth the blankets would provide.

"What's troubling you?"

"Am I good wife?"

Catching himself, John avoided laughing at Cameron's question.

"Yes. In every way that you could be, you are a good wife. You past muster, inspection and meet every requirement."

"You are not just saying that?"

"You're not perfect, but you're perfect for me. I would be dead and we wouldn't be having this conversation were it not for you. No woman could live with me, with what is expected of me. Yet, there you are everyday when I need you, eager to be with me. You're my best friend. You're such an important part of the family."

He watched his wife's face for any sign of expression and found none.

"We've had this exact discussion too many times for me to remember," John gently whispered.

"Sometimes I wonder how things would be different if I was just your protector and not your wife."

"Miserable," John replied quickly. "Of course, you could have done better in the husband picking part. I'm no catch."

"You are perfect John Connor," Cameron snapped back. "You are perfect for me."

"Then this discussion is over," he whispered.

Shifting to get comfortable, John felt the chill in the colder than normal air. "It is cold. Another advantage to being married," he teased.

He smiled at the strange purring sound emanating from Cameron. She was content and at peace. John knew she would enter her version of sleep in seconds. He felt her stiffen and then relax. Drowsiness made itself felt as his eyelids grew heavy. Knowing Cameron would be out and about the camp when he woke up, John decided to enjoy the security and comfort his wife provided him with every time she curled up with him.

In the world they lived in, he never knew what could happen, when things could change.

 **In the Cold of the Wastelands…**

"Don't talk so loud Hailey, I can hear you just fine, you know, Terminator hearing."

"I'm cold. This is worse than standing guard on the perimeter at home," Hailey complained.

"We are at a higher elevation and the wind is blowing in from the mountains, bringing colder air with it."

"Well, this is so not the vacation we were supposed to be on."

"What did you expect? A trip to the place called Disneyland? If I had not seen files about the strange place I would consider it to be a mythic land parents tell kids about to allay their fears."

"For one thing Ruth, I had hoped to have a little more fun. Guard duty stinks."

"I am enjoying the expedition. There have been so many new things to see."

"You're an artist. You draw what you see. That's great for you Ruth. I want something to do!"

"You never change Hailey," Ruth told her niece. "We've flown over Airbase S-14, been fired on by an unknown submarine, skirted the border of the Northerners, flown over the Cannibal's Forest and moved north along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We've camped out at night, sat around an actual fire and even better, we're missing most of the last semester of school our senior year."

"You do have a point," Hailey mused. "This is better than school."

The pair sat in silence, listening to the strange sounds in the Wasteland. Hailey would never had admitted it, but if Ruth had not been with her, she would have been frightened more than she was. Somewhere nearby was the Old Man, their T-600 protector, accompanied by the family's Italian Greyhound Sammy.

Few things would be able to sneak up on Hailey in the darkness of the Wastelands. The sensors of the Old Man and Ruth's T-1000 scanning capability accompanied by Sammy's acute hearing and sense of smell made surprise unlikely.

"Do you ever get scared Ruth?"

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Four – This is Why – Part I**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Expedition Camp – 0400…**

Cameron slipped her boots off and slipped back under the covers with John. Ruth and Hailey had finished their watch and returned to their tent. Cameron had resisted entering the tent to scan Hailey and check on Ruth. She'd watched as the Old Man let Sammy in the tent and then vanished into the pitch-black night to take up a defensive position near the girl's tent.

Lying close to John, Cameron pulled up the file of their brief conversation earlier in the night. She smiled as she listened to her John tell her she was a perfect wife for him. Cameron replayed the audio a second time and then carefully stored the file. John groaned and shifted. Cameron quickly nestled close in order to calm John. His nightmares came less frequently and she had long ago learned how to interrupt the horrible visions without waking her husband.

John settled back into a peaceful sleep. Cameron felt pleased by her efforts. She was a good wife to her John.

 **Hailey and Ruth's Tent…**

"Sammy, get back in bed. I swear dog, we have like an hour to sleep," Hailey hissed at the Italian Greyhound.

Sammy responded by growling again and spinning in a circle. Facing the entrance to his tent he displayed his teeth, emitting a growl so low Hailey could barely hear it.

"I swear, Sammy, the Old Man took you to pee before he dropped you off."

"Hailey, I don't think Sammy needs to pee. He walks in a circle on his hind legs when he needs to be let out to pee."

Ruth's words sent a chill down Hailey's spine. She'd been anxious the entire time during her stand at guard duty.

"Do you think something's out there?"

"Sammy does. Put his leash on."

"I'm not going out there to wander around in the pitch black. Be sensible Ruth. It's probably just a rat."

"If it was a rat, he would have tunneled under the tent to go hunt," Ruth whispered. "Something's out there. We have to warn John and Cameron."

Ruth slipped out of her sleeping bag and pulled on her boots. She didn't waste time brushing her hair, instead morphing it into an up do before slipping on her helmet. Fearful of being left alone, Hailey pulled on her boots and put Sammy's leash on. She grabbed her helmet and assault rifle while Ruth shouldered hers.

The pair slipped out of their tent with Sammy straining on his leash. Ruth led the way in the complete darkness using her superior night vision. Hailey followed closely, glancing about hoping not to see anything.

As the pair approached the Command & Control HK, the flap of John and Cameron's tent opened and a barefoot Cameron emerged.

"What's wrong?"

"Sammy thinks something is out there Mom," Hailey whispered.

Cameron knelt down and touched the family's dog, scanning him. Sammy whined as she did so, still straining on his leash in first one direction and then another.

"He is alarmed. Where is your body armor?"

The girls lowered their heads, having forgotten their flak jackets.

"Armor. Now. Be ready to report to your duty stations."

Hailey watched her father emerge from the tent, slipping his flak jacket over his head. His hair was in complete disarray and he wore only his fatigue pants and his boots.

John hugged first Hailey and then Ruth, not saying a word.

"Go, now girls," Cameron ordered.

"I will be in the command center," John whispered. "In sixty seconds I'm lighting up the Very Lights. Have everyone moving into position. The Gunship HK will be airborne in minutes. Nobody moves beyond the perimeter. If there's something out there, I'm going to call in a danger close strike."

Without saying a word, Cameron kissed her husband and departed to carryout his commands. She hurried, hoping she would have time to check the girls position before the flares lit up the sky.

 **The Perimeter…**

Silence marked the standing still of time, or so it seemed to the T-800. He knew better. Time marched forward. Always. His CPU processed furiously in an effort to provide the answer to why his anxiety levels increased.

His HUD dropped down, displaying the answer.

 _Silence indicates lack of animal noise, usually due to nocturnal animals sensing danger._

Without hesitation, the T-800 grabbed the whistle device hanging on a lanyard around his neck. He pressed the device's small button, causing it to emit a loud, shrill sound similar to the sound made by a human whistle.

Seconds later the whoosh of Very Lights rushing upwards into the sky could be heard around the perimeter. With loud pops, the flares ignited, piercing the black voice of the sky as they began their slow descent, suspended from small chutes.

Adjusting his vision, the T-800 was able to make out a cluster of T-600s and nearly a dozen humans, wearing old Skynet Grey uniforms. Targeting the T-600s first, the T-800 fired his grenade launcher, sending HP and Terminator Killer rounds down range.

The first grenade landed short, filling the air with shrapnel and screams from a Grey whose face had been sliced off. The second grenade struck a T-600, stopping his advance. The machine dropped his weapon and clutched his chest plate seconds before a red glow appeared in the center of the Coltan steel. His fellow T-600s started to scatter before the TK round exploded, setting off the T-600s power cell.

A deafening roar filled the night air as the T-600 vanished into a burst of white and orange light. His body parts flew through the air, killing and maiming the Greys and damaging several of the T-600s.

Switching to his assault rifle, the T-800 moved laterally to his right, moping up the remainder of the original dozen troops. Fire from the T-600s tore into his flesh, leaving bloody red stains on his fatigues. Spotting the pre-dug foxhole, the T-800 dove for cover, a grenade round just missing. It went off harmlessly in a mound of dirt, sending rocks and debris high into the air.

 **TechCom Command & Control HK…**

John flipped up the protective cover to the firing switches. Just as he reached for the firing switch for the first round of Very Lights, a loud whistle from the perimeter filled the night. Without hesitation, John fired the flares reaching for the switch to light up the threat board.

"You stupid idiot," he murmured in anger with himself. The threat board lit up in red, showing a range of forces deployed around the TechCom camp. "Someone should have been stationed here."

Green lights showed the position of his troops, all located where they should be. The indicators for the Gunship HK told him its engines were warming up and it would be aloft in minutes.

John pressed his earpiece and microphone headset on.

"Cameron!"

"Yes, General?"

"The bulk of the threat is to the Northwest. I want you to move to that location. The enemy has already engaged there."

John next contacted the pilot of the Gunship.

"How long till you're airborne?"

"Two minutes sir."

"Make it one minute. You don't have far to fly. The bulk of the attacking force is just beyond the northwest perimeter. Give me a danger close run. Lay down death with the mini-guns."

"Yes, General."

Sounds of gunfire and screams filled the early morning darkness, making John sick to his stomach. He never got used to the sounds of combat. Reaching for the firing switches, John sent up the second round of Very Lights.

 **Southeast of the TechCom Camp…**

Noise filled the air like a physical presence. Ruth turned to check on Hailey. The blood had drained from Hailey's face, leaving her pale. Ruth touched Hailey, revealing her niece was frozen still, yet shaking like a leaf.

"Hailey," Ruth screamed, slapping her hard across her left cheek. Hailey blinked, seeming to return to the moment. "Get ready. The attack has started. Think about your training. It will get you through this."

"I'm scared Ruth. I'm not like you," Hailey screamed.

Another slap followed the first.

"You've killed before. You can kill again if you have to," Ruth screamed.

"That was different. I didn't think. I just fired the gun to protect my grandma," she sobbed, dropping her assault rifle.

Ruth grabbed the weapon and shoved it back in Hailey's hands. Her face inches from Hailey's, Ruth emitted her feral hiss, displaying her combat teeth.

"You're a Connor. Act like one. Don't think. Rely on your training. Your parents have spent years preparing you for this if it came. Now it has. Act like a member of our clan!"

Ruth shoved Hailey towards the far side of the shallow foxhole the pair shared. "When they come, fire three-round bursts. Identify the leader if you can and take him out."

Tracer fire began whizzing overhead, piercing the night with light and the terrifying sound of projectiles meant to kill flying close to the girl's heads.

Hailey watched as Ruth readied herself. Dressed in the all black uniform of her mother's infiltrator unit, Ruth was almost invisible mere feet away from Hailey. Watching the shy, quiet Ruth calmed Hailey. _She was the confident one in the pair. If Ruth was ready for battle, she could handle it too._

 **Northwest of the TechCom Perimeter…**

Tracer fire from both sides flew back and forth, creating eerie moments when green and red light allowed both combatant groups to see each other.

Cameron watched as groups of two and three of the enemy moved forward, a few feet at a time, preparing for a massed rush at the center of the TechCom position. A position held by a mere eight troops.

Cameron pressed her communication device, linking with the C&C HK. "John, they're massing. I need Teller mines."

"I see it on the threat board," he shouted back. "Gunship will be airborne in seconds."

Horrified, John watched as the mass of red dots surged towards his wife's location. His finger flicked the switches to five Teller mines, unleashing a nightmarish rain of burning hot steel on the enemy attackers.

Cameron had left her earpiece on, allowing John to hear the results of the Teller Mines. Screams and moans filled the air, undoubtedly from the torn bodies of the dead and dying attackers. He watched as red dots begin to flicker and fade, indicating the mines had done their deadly work.

"John, a second wave is massing," Cameron screamed through the compiece.

"I see them on the threat board now. There's only two mines left. Do you see the Gunship yet?"

"I see it. I need a danger close run with time on target for about thirty seconds. Have them sight on the laser."

John relayed Cameron's request, watching the gunship's path as it set up for its run, searching for Cameron's marking laser. Within seconds the HK began traveling a tight arc, firing with its trio of turrets, each with twin mini-guns mounted. He looked out the view window and watched as streams of red tracer raced to the ground. Beyond Cameron's position the ground erupted in red flames, the bursts of light showing bodies crumpling.

The gunship finished its run and climbed to regain altitude and wait for the next call for ground support.

"Cameron!"

"I'm okay. We're okay. They're falling back. Manage the fight John."

 **Northeast of TechCom's Camp…**

"Hold steady. They'll come," Wilhelm asserted calmly. "The others can hold their own. The General will manage the fight. We only have to hold our position."

Catherine watched her husband calm his twelve airborne troops. It struck her as strange that Wilhelm spent as much time encouraging his Terminators as his human troops. Catherine realized she had been absent from combat far too long.

"Remember our fall back positions. We'll move in two waves if we have to fall back. If I call in an airstrike from the Gunship, as soon as you see the tracer's make sure to take cover."

Catherine noted the location of Savannah's Lt. Dan. Nothing would be allowed to happen to her Wilhelm, but if she could, Catherine promised her self to protect the young officer as well.

 **Southeast Perimeter…**

"Here they come!"

Ruth's assault rifle began to bark, sending bursts of three rounds in the direction of the attacking force. Hailey scanned the darkness, seeing nothing to fire at. The whoosh of the third set of Very Lights going up warned Hailey. As the bright lights burned through the darkness, she felt her body tense.

She detected movement not quite 30 meters away. Hailey brought her weapon to bear, waiting for a target to appear. Within seconds the twin red lights indicating the optics of a T-600 appeared. Hailey lined up the sights of her assault rifle and took a deep breath, trying to stem the trembling of her hands. She let the breath out and took another.

She thought of her mother and how calm Cameron could be in the presence of danger.

"I am a Connor. I can do this," she whispered. The T-600 emerged from behind its cover. Hailey gently squeezed the trigger, sending three steel jacketed rounds through the cyborg's left eye, destroying its optic and the chip located behind.

The cyborg stumbled forward before falling in the dirt, lying still. Hailey stopped trembling and glanced about. The sound of gunfire and explosions gradually became louder, enveloping her, bringing her back to the horror of her situation. Two humans crawled past the still T-600, pushing what appeared to be a satchel charge in front of them.

Hailey began to shake again as she tried to take aim. Unable to still the quivering, she asked herself what Sarah would do.

" _Overkill. Grandma always goes for overkill."_

Hailey flipped the selector switch to full auto and sprayed the two targets down. Streaks of red exploded into the air as some of the bullets found their mark. The explosions of her weapon stopped, empty of rounds. Without thinking, Hailey dropped the empty clip from her weapon and reloaded. Inserting Terminator Killers instead of regular steel jacketed rounds.

 **Northeast Perimeter…**

"Wilhelm," John shouted into the compiece, "a force is massing behind the troops firing on your position. A push is about to start."

"Roger, General."

"I will set off the Teller mines on the first wave. Make sure your men take cover. The Gunship is about to make a pass on the Southeast perimeter to finish off the attack there. Just hold your ground."

Wilhelm stood up directly in the face of the withering fire. Single rounds struck his body armor covering his massive chest. Horrified, Catherine struck him in the back of his left knee causing him to fall over backwards. Wilhelm spun over to his left, stopping the tip of his combat knife a mere centimeter from Catherine's face.

"Never do that again," he snarled as he stood up.

"Wait," Catherine pleaded, reaching inside her tailored jacket. "You need this."

Wilhelm looked down at his petite redheaded wife, glowering in fury at her interference. Catherine seemed to shrink in fear before her husband, becoming tinier in his presence.

And then he saw what she held up. He smiled and reached down, picking Catherine up by her hand with ease.

"A Cuban. I knew you had been pilfering them so I could not enjoy a good smoke with the General and Colonel Reese."

"You don't look proper without it," Catherine told him. "In battle that is. Please, try not to take too many risks."

Wilhelm jammed the Cuban in his mouth and turned to face the attack with his stoic expression in place.

"Hold your fire. Let them enter the kill zone. General Connor will set off the Teller Mines. Then we counterattack."

Catherine watched as his men patiently waited in their positions while her husband stood behind them, ignoring the hail of bullets flying past him. She turned her attention to the charging horde of Terminators and humans, rushing headlong into the kill zone set up the evening before. The telltale blinding flash informed Catherine the mines had been set off. Somehow, she did not hear the accompanying explosions as the shrapnel mowed down the enemy.

To her horror, the mass of bodies still moved forward. Towards her Wilhelm and his men.

"Open fire."

The two squad gunners began to sweep the kill zone, creating a crossfire. Tracers from each gun reached out and touched each other at the tip of the apex as the gunners shifted their line of fire to and fro, covering as large an area as possible.

T-600s surged to the front, acting as shields for the human troops and T-800s moving up. It became clear to Catherine the attack was meant to overrun their position at any cost.

She stood up and began walking slowly towards the moving mass of Terminators and humans, crossing her arms over her chest. As she walked, Weaver gathered speed until she was running towards the enemy.

Wilhelm spotted her as he was coordinating fire, roaring his anger at her for charging the enemy.

Weaver leaped over the first row of bodies and into the midst of the pack, swinging her arms outward from her body. Her forearms extended into razor sharp blades, severing cervical cords and arteries. Her malice discriminated not at all. Weaver unleashed the fury of a T-1000's scorn, killing machine and human alike.

As she cut a path through the middle of the enemy line, a large human soldier stopped before her, lifting a large axe above his ugly, misshapen head. His scared face revealed only rage and anger as he charged Catherine, bellowing his intent to split her in half with his axe.

He'd caught Weaver by surprise and she moved too late, allowing the downward chopping motion of the axe to severe her left arm, revealing the bright, silvery inside of the her shoulder. Stunned by his action and what he'd seen, the giant paused.

Annoyed, Weaver pointed the index finger of her right hand directly at the left eye of the giant. She extended the sharpened point nearly two feet before she suddenly jabbed at the giant's eye, blinding him and killing him at the same time. Looking down at the ground, Weaver spotted the puddle of liquid metal. She knelt, touching her right hand to the matrix. In seconds her left arm reappeared and the puddle was gone.

The enemy had backed away from her, leaving a gap large enough Weaver could not strike any of her foe. Disgusted, she looked down at the fallen giant. Feeling a primal urge she had not felt in years, Weaver morphed her right hand into a battle-axe and raised it above her head in a single swift motion. Her optics detected a reddish haze as she swung the axe down with all the force she could generate, severing the giant's head from his body.

Catherine shook her head to clear her optics of the red mist. As a final act of defiance, she kicked the giant's head, sending it tumbling towards the other attackers.

"Fall back now woman," a male voice behind her demanded. A none too gentle shove propelled Weaver towards the small foxholes Wilhelm's men had scratched into the ground. She tripped and fell into a hole. A heavy, crushing weight fell on her, stunning Catherine. She panicked, forgeting she could morph into another form and escape the pressing weight pinning her in the shallow hole.

The booming continuous sound of the gunships mini-guns firing filled Catherine's auditory sensors as it began its run. She detected the high velocity impact of the depleted uranium rounds impacting the ground around her. Several rounds seemed to strike the object pinning her to the ground. Her CPU began to malfunction from sensory data overload, causing Catherine to shut down.

 **TechCom Camp Site 0630…**

"Just the one casualty then," John confirmed.

"Yes," Cameron replied quietly. "It was a T-800 in the Northwest sector. He sounded the alarm as they launched their attack. He took about twenty of the enemy with him."

"How?"

"Electrified spear through the left optic. Short-circuited his chip, causing him to shutdown. Then they severed his head."

John sighed. "This is on me. We should have had more sensors set further out and someone on the threat board. It won't happen again."

It hurt Cameron to see John like this. He felt every loss in battle.

"Hailey is okay? Ruth?"

"Hailey has the shakes but other than that, she is fine."

"Injuries?"

"Catherine shutdown. Wilhelm lost his left knee again and has about a dozen bullet wounds that will need to regenerate. Lt. Dan took shrapnel to his face and lower left leg. Sammy and one of the German Shepherds each have a severe laceration to their left front leg."

"Even the dogs," John said grimly. "Even the dogs."

"John, it was Sammy who alerted us. He woke Hailey and Ruth. We might have been overrun otherwise.

 **Troop Bay – Command and Control HK…**

"Dad, put that out right now."

"Can't I enjoy my Cuban?" Wilhelm protested. "Your mother actually gave it to me."

"No, you cannot," Savannah snapped in anger, pulling the cigar from her step-father's mouth and grinding it against the steel floor of the HK. "Here Mom. Save it for him. You cannot smoke around wounded humans. The nicotine can cause infections."

"Oh," Wilhelm replied in Austrian accented monotone. "In that case, I will save it. I do not wish my men's wounds to become infected."

"I will save it for him," Catherine said as she relieved Savannah of the forbidden object. "He may smoke it later."

"Major, Catherine," John's voice boomed. "I see nothing can terminate the pair of you."

"You should have seen her," Wilhelm beamed. "The stubborn fool charged right into the middle of their suicide charge, beheading and slashing. If I was not so angry with her for taking such a risk, I would feel proud."

"Hush you brute," Catherine ordered, allowing her face to turn slightly red in embarrassment from her husband's compliment. "He covered me during the gunship run. Foolish male. It cost him his left knee again. Savannah will have it replaced by 1800 hours and all my Wilhelm will need is rest and proper care so his flesh can regenerate."

"General," Wilhelm growled in his thick accent, pointing at the wounded Lt. Dan who lay next to him. "This worthless Lt. you assigned to my unit, I might be able to make an officer of him after all. After I was wounded, he led my squad in the counterattack and finished the enemy. He even has a proper wound on his forearm and face to commemorate his leadership today."

John nodded, shaking his head at the insane behavior of the pair. Only Terminators could view the world like Catherine and Wilhelm did.

Relieved at their good fortune, John left to find Hailey and Ruth. As he stepped off the HK he spotted his daughter and sister standing guard while several soldiers and Terminators finished the search of the battlefield.

Hailey and Ruth, along with the other personnel snapped to attention.

"At ease. We don't need any of that out here. No need to identify who an officer is for any leave behind snipers."

The searchers went back to their task. John reached for the two girls who both fell into his arms. Hugging them tight, John's heart broke as his daughter began sobbing. Ruth slipped from his grasp and looked at her brother, telling him with her face and eyes it was fine for him to tend to Hailey alone.

"Come on, let's get you on board the HK."

"No, Daddy. I'm a Connor. I have to stand my post like everyone else."

"You're right. Just wanted to let you know everyone survived except for a single T-800. Sammy has a bad laceration on his left front leg but will heal in time."

"Oh, Daddy. I was so angry with him. I thought he woke me up to pee. And he was trying to warn us."

"Hailey, that's why we have the dogs with us. They sense things even Terminators can't. Ruth, are you okay?"

"I'm fine John. I'll make sure Hailey is okay."

"We lift off in one hour. Make sure all of your gear is stored and both of you are on the C&C HK."

The girls nodded they understood. John hugged them both one more time.

"Now, I have to radio the bad news."

Ruth laughed out loud at her brother. Hailey even managed a small smile and giggle.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Five – This is Why – Part II**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"Everyone's okay, uh huh. I'm listening." Derek waived Sarah off, taking notes as he listened intently on his compiece. "Okay, nephew, General or not, you owe me for this."

Derek removed his compiece and looked at his wife. Sarah's countenance indicated she was near hurricane levels of fury if she did not receive detailed information and receive it soon.

"First of all, everyone is okay. More or less."

"What do you mean more or less?"

"Has John been wounded? Ruth? Answer me this instant Derek Reese! Is Hailey okay? Tin Miss?"

"They are all fine. Hailey had the shakes for a little bit, but no big deal."

"No big deal! That's our granddaughter you're talking about!"

"Sarah, I get the shakes after combat," Derek firmly replied, fighting the rising surge inside him.

"Is the Old Man okay," Sarah asked, seeming to calm down slightly.

"John says he was in the Southwest area and didn't have a single round fired at him. The old T-600 is beside himself he was not stationed in the same sector as Hailey and Ruth."

Her fury rising again, Sarah's face turned red. "Please tell me John was not the idiot who did that?"

"No. It was a simple mistake on the duty roster for guard duty. The Old Man could not leave his post. Cameron talked to Savannah and she thinks the old metal will be all right."

"All right? You said there was not action in his sector!"

"He blew a circuit from the stress. Cameron has gotten John to agree to write a standing order if the girls go into combat the Old Man goes with them."

"Should've been done long ago," Sarah muttered, crossing her arms across her chest, pacing back and forth in the command center.

"Any casualties?"

"One T-800. Took over 20 with him. Some wounded. Wilhelm needs a new knee, imagine that. Catherine blacked out but otherwise John says she lived up to her model's reputation in combat. Lt. Dan got his first combat scars. Some of the T-600s will be polishing their finish. John said he'd be busy pulling lead out of the T-800s and suturing for a while. The medics have their hands full, but nothing life threatening or serious."

"Damage to the HKs?"

"None."

"The enemy?"

"John says they won't be attacking anyone again until they can recruit or conscript more personnel."

"How long before they return?"

"They aren't. They'll be airborne in minutes. Expedition continues as planned."

"Give me that compiece. Somebody has to talk sense to the boy. Has Cameron lost her grip on things?"

"Sammy was injured. Bad laceration on his left foreleg."

"What? Sammy was hurt? Is he okay?"

Relieved Sarah's attention was diverted, Derek continued the canine update.

"He'll make it is the word. I'm not sure if John was joking, but he claims Sammy is up for a medal."

Sarah laughed, shaking her head as she paced. "A medal for a dog?"

"He was the one who alerted them the attack was coming," Derek answered solemnly. "Another German Shepherd was wounded as well. Pulled a Grey off his handler."

"A Grey?" Alarm crept into Sarah's voice. "Was this a Skynet operation?"

"John didn't say. He'll send us the after action report in this evening's burst message."

Sarah stopped pacing and covered her face. "My babies. My family. I should have been there to protect them," she sobbed.

Derek reached for Sarah only for her to pull away. He yanked her close despite her efforts to evade him. Derek forcefully held Sarah close to him.

"Listen to me."

He shook her once to force her to look up at him.

"You spent your entire life preparing John. Cameron is with him. Wilhelm and Catherine are there. The entire firefight was over in less than ten minutes."

"I should have been there, Derek! What if Cameron was terminated? Our baby Ruth? Who would…"

"Do not do this to yourself Sarah! They had Teller mines set, sensors out and they have four dogs with them. The gunship made the difference. It broke the back of the attackers. Everyone was in position before the first round was fired. They were ready Sarah."

Sobbing Sarah buried her face in Derek's chest, hitting him with her fists on his shoulders. He let Sarah vent her fury and frustration as she cried. She stopped trying to escape his grasp and after a minute or so clutched her husband tightly.

"It's okay, Sarah. John is in control. C'mon. Let's go for a walk and you can cry all you want."

Sarah wiped her tears and nodded. There would be no more tears until that night. She would cry in private where only Derek could see her weakness. As she took her husband's hand, Sarah gave thanks for Cameron's devious plans that had pushed Sarah and Derek together.

 **Command & Control HK – Somewhere North of TechCom City…**

"What do we know?"

John sat in his chair, locked facing inwards. He looked at Cameron, Wilhelm and Catherine, all strapped into seats in the observation area.

"Standard protocol saved us. If we hadn't dug in when we pitched camp and set the mines and sensors, we'd have been in trouble," Wilhelm monotoned.

"If I had enough foresight, the threat board would have been manned and we would not have taken a single casualty," John bemoaned.

"This is our first expedition with a C&C HK. Mistakes were inevitable," Cameron told her husband, trying to soothe his guilt.

"Nonsense. I'm responsible. In addition, I want Very Lights set with trip wires further out with the sensors. If nothing else, we'll scare away an predatory animals."

Unstrapping himself, John stood and walked over the viewing port and looked outside.

"How did they find us?"

"My guess is they stumbled on to us or spotted the HK's landing," Cameron monotone.

"Why? What makes you think that?"

"Their attack was so disorganized," Cameron offered. "They hit us from three directions but at different times. They could have overrun us on the first push. The Gunship could only make one run at a time. If they had coordinated their attack, they would have overrun the camp and been able to take or destroy the other two HKs.

Wilhelm nodded. "I agree. They attacked with out suppressing fire. Even if it was a suicide attack, they had better chances of success if they had laid down covering fire. This was not a well led force."

"There were Greys out there," John muttered. "Was this a Skynet attack?"

"No," Catherine said firmly. "These Greys were sick. Emaciated even. Others of the humans looked fit but were not dressed in Skynet uniforms. They carried a variety of arms. Skynet forces would have been more disciplined, even if the attack plan was faulty. The human troops would have all been in the same condition and uniformed the same. This was a rogue force. Who ever assembled it, it wasn't a Skynet A.I."

"The Terminators that attacked my sector did not advance in a coordinated manner," Cameron volunteered. "That is quite atypical of a Skynet controlled attack. Also, the Terminators broke off the attack earlier than required. That should never have happened. If a Skynet A.I. controlled that force and wanted us to be overrun, every single Terminator would have persisted until they were destroyed or we were wiped out."

"I don't know which frightens me more," John answered, turning to face the others. "An attack from a regional Skynet or bands of rogue Terminators roaming the countryside with human allies or human slaves. At least Skynet was somewhat predictable."

Turbulence shook the HK for a second, causing John to stumble and slip back into his seat. The group sat in silence, contemplating the significance of the attack.

"John," Cameron said softly, touching his arm without scanning him. "I know I disagreed with your plan for this expedition. But you were right. We have to know what is out here. What the dangers are. I just wish you had remained at TechCom City."

Taking Cameron's hand in his own, John smiled and shook his head. "I cannot, and will not, demand my officers lead expeditions and patrols like this one if I am unwilling to take my turn."

Still holding his wife's hand, John lifted the bloody white cotton dressing lying over Wilhelm's knee and grimaced at what he saw.

"Total replacement?"

"Savannah is in the machine shop, working on the adjustments to a replacement so it will fit my frame. She's welding on more steel to try to strengthen the replacement joint," Wilhelm monotoned. "To be honest General, I think she's getting a bit tired of doing the procedure. Savannah was not too gentle when she trimmed away my damaged flesh."

"Enough of this," Catherine said firmly, replacing the cover over Wilhelm's grisly wound. "It is not proper."

"Look, change in plans," John announced, changing the subject to placate Catherine. "The pilots are going to continue the grid pattern but we're going to stay airborne for two full days. The pilots will switch as needed and rest. This evening we will land and check for mechanical problems. We'll find a spot to set down, set up a perimeter and as soon as the mechanics have the problem resolved, we're gone.

I want to get out of this area and give it some space. Three days North we'll reach the warehouse John Henry thinks might have fiber optic cable and copper wire we need. There is a small airfield nearby so we might be able to refuel as well.

Get some rest. Wilhelm and Catherine, you'll return to your HK this evening. I want you with your troops. Savannah can go with you and perform the replacement in your HK. Besides, she might want to spend a little time with that Lt. Dan you keep telling me is so awful," John teased.

 **TechCom Expedition – 1900 Hours – One Day North of the Battle Site…**

A soft snoring sound came from the little dog. Cameron watched for nearly two minutes as Sammy slept on his back, his legs working furiously at times while at others he bared his teeth. Finally, the dream ended and the family dog rolled onto his side and curled up into a ball. He yelped, waking himself up.

Cameron felt sorry for the small dog. The cone fixed around his head to prevent Sammy from ripping out his sutures was clearly uncomfortable and prevented him sleeping curled up and next to either Hailey or Ruth. Covering him with two old, tattered towels, she rubbed Sammy's head, appreciating the normally timid breed's courage. He'd warned the girls and in doing so, prevented their party from being overrun.

Lying next to Sammy on the old air mattress was Hailey and Ruth. Ruth held Hailey close, the taller girl's head resting on Ruth's shoulder. Cameron touched Hailey, scanning her again while a patient Ruth watched the worried mother. The two Terminators looked at each other, understanding Hailey had rough days ahead of her. Cameron touched Ruth's cheek and smiled for a second. Thankful Hailey had Ruth for a friend and protector.

Nearby the Old Man was strapped into a seat. His red optics fixed on the girls. Cameron stopped and inspected the venerable T-600, patting him on his damaged knees.

"You did nothing wrong. You obeyed orders and stood your post."

"I should be terminated. There are other T-600s who might find my parts a viable replacement."

"Nonsense. I am Hailey's mother and I was not present."

"But, you are a Commander, second in command. The General expects you to lead in battle. You must. I am a foot soldier, a protector. I should have been in a covering position, providing suppressing fire."

In a rare moment of public compassion, Cameron took the Old Man's left hand and grasped with both of hers.

"You did nothing wrong. The girls are nearly grown. Both must serve a minimum of one enlistment. Neither of us can, or even should, fight their battles. They are from the clan Connor-Reese. The girls MUST earn the right to lead or our clan must step aside."

"But what would become of TechCom? Who would make certain Terminators are accepted as equal citizens?"

"That is exactly why the girls must fight. It is why they must choose their mates well. The General and I cannot lead forever. Sarah Connor will not live forever. Nor will Colonel Reese. Do you understand?"

The Old Man looked away, staring at his two resting charges. "I would allow my existence to end at any time to protect the girls. They have given me a deeply fulfilling purpose, one that I never thought possible."

Pulling his hand back and placing it on the armrest of his seat, the T-600 looked back at Cameron. "It will be my honor to protect the girls offspring. The clan shall continue to lead and I shall continue to serve the Connor and Reese families. You have my commitment Commander. I understand what it is you have told me."

Cameron touched the T-600's face, placing the fingers of her right hand on his steel cheekbone while running her thumb under his optic.

"It will be the Connor-Reese clan's privilege for you to serve us and protect my grandchildren and Sarah and Derek's grandchildren. You are as fine a Terminator as ever assembled."

Cameron made her way over to where John lay on their makeshift bed. Cameron had found a way to fasten the air mattress to a pair of rings mounted on the bay of the wall to secure freight and cargo. Already dressed to rest with her John, Cameron got under the blankets and snuggled close to her husband.

"You, my beautiful wife, are a fine leader," he whispered.

Cameron's CPU recorded the affirmative feedback and generated the appropriate positive feelings for Cameron to experience. She smiled and kissed her John on his cheek.

"I love you and you love me," she whispered.

"I love you and you love me," John whispered back.

As he ran his fingers through Cameron's hair, John stared up at the steel ceiling above.

"This is why we have to do this, Cameron. We have to protect our family. We have to protect our friends. We owe it to those like the Old Man and Ellison, Father Hidalgo, Mary and Grace. We owe it to them to make sure this lasts. So our children can have families of their own. So our city survives."

John felt Cameron burrow closer. She hugged him tightly and did not release her grip for sometime. He looked down at Cameron. She kissed him on his jawline and ran her finger down his cheek.

"You need rest my General. We have much to do tomorrow."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Six – Growing Pains**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Command and Control HK – Three Days Later – 1300 Hours…**

Watching her husband was one of Cameron's favorite activities. Unless he was exhibiting signs of stress like he was at the moment. John was staring intently out the viewing port, watching as a barely recovered Wilhelm led half of his squad in repelling down to the small airfield below. Two engineers accompanied the airborne troops.

Having deployed the small force, the Airborne unit's HK pulled back and climbed to the same altitude as the Gunship and C&C HKs, taking its place in the triangular formation over the airfield. John and Cameron both listened closely through their compieces as Wilhelm's unit slowly and methodically cleared the buildings.

After nearly half an hour, the big T-800 walked into the middle of the approach to one of the hangars and gave a thumbs up. Within minutes the Airborne's HK landed followed by the C&C HK. The Gunship remained airborne while more troops scurried forth from the two HKs to begin a wider perimeter sweep. Engineers began the process of unloading Teller mines, Very Lights and perimeter warning sensors. All of the canine handlers, including the Old Man and Sammy, began their own search of the area.

Climbing down from the C&C HK, John was greeted by Wilhelm.

"Any significant damage?"

"Not really, General, just signs of scavengers looking for food. The flight records are still here as are all the tools in the service hangars. The even appear to be a couple of small, serviceable aircraft."

"Let's get the mechanics to take a look at them. If they can fly, we need to get them back to TechCom City."

Wilhelm departed to supervise the securing of the airfield.

"John, if it is safe, we should stay here tonight and use this as a base camp to explore the region. The maps indicate there was industry in the area as well as multiple industrial warehouses that served distributors and wholesalers," Cameron noted. "It is not a well developed area. Before Judgment Day this region was just starting to develop. The lack of population might mean the materials we need were simply left unguarded."

"Sound idea," John replied absentmindedly. "It might also mean those warehouses are guarded precisely because they contain valuable construction materials. If we have to take them by force, we'll need a base to deploy from. At any rate, I'm not inclined to spend another night bouncing around in the air. We can sleep inside a hangar. If there is plenty of fuel, we'll keep one of the HK's aloft round the clock."

Cameron touched John on the bare skin of his hand and scanned him. "John, you must relax," she informed him.

"Not now Cameron."

"John, this is your second in command speaking, not your wife, though she is concerned too. You have not slept over three hours since the firefight. You must rest in order to function optimally. If we do have to fight again, you won't be prepared to lead us effectively."

The words cut John. He stopped and glared in rage at his wife only to see Cameron's blank expression and her big, brown eyes. She meant the words she'd spoken, but no malice had been intended.

"Sexbot will come to play if it helps her General get the rest he needs," she whispered.

John felt even worse. Cameron liked to tease him at times and was more than willing to withhold sex if she was angry or felt hurt or slighted in some way. But she never cheapened herself or their physical intimacy. Seduction as a means for manipulation was something she was capable of, but Cameron was never overtly obvious in that regard.

"I will get some sleep. A visit from the Sexbot would be nice, but she needs sleep too," he whispered in return.

Cameron released his hand and looked away quickly.

"It's okay," John said politely. "This is one more new venture for all of us. I've never led an expedition like this and I'm not going to have another repeat of what happened a few days ago."

His wife nodded and turned to leave. A touch on her shoulder stopped Cameron. "Never feel that you must do that Cameron. I am sorry my actions led you to believe that was the only way you could get me to come to my senses."

Cameron looked down at her feet for a brief second. "My husband is a strong man, but he is also a stubborn man. Sometimes he does not take care of himself and makes it difficult for me to care for him."

Salt in the wound was the expression that came to John's mind. He knew Cameron was not being malicious. She simply could not have cut him any deeper at that moment. Cameron was talking about purpose, her fear of not being able to fulfill her purpose.

John took a deep breath and let it out. "Commander, you have a standing order that if the General, me, goes without rest for too long a period again, with circumstances that would have allowed him to rest, just get Major Wilhelm and have him drag me off and put me to bed."

A flash of relief spread across Cameron's face before vanishing. "General, you do realize I recorded the order and will obey it."

"I am fully aware of what I just did. I know full well my wife will use it against me every opportunity she has."

 **1800 Hours – Main Hanger…**

Weary from days of travel and no rest, John leaned back against the wall of the airplane hanger selected for sleeping quarters. He waited for Cameron to arrive from walking the perimeter. Twice as many Teller Mines had been deployed along with Very Lights set close to the perimeter and beyond the fence surrounding the regional airport. All of the remote sensors had been set up and a rotation established to monitor the threat board.

Cameron had positioned snipers in key locations in the complex and all of the squad weapons were deployed. Additional fuel was available but the decision had been made to ground the HK's until 2400 hours. The Gunship would circle the perimeter of the airfield a kilometer out until 0600 and then return.

The taste of old MRE's lingered in John's mouth, making him drink more water than he would have liked. Cameron planned to get up at 0330 and cook breakfast for the entire expedition. She had conscripted Hailey and Ruth and the pair had spent the early evening doing all the prep work for Cameron.

Despite being a Terminator, Cameron's cooking skills had become something of a minor legend in TechCom. John had ordered her to bring enough supplies for her to cook several meals for the expedition to keep morale up. This breakfast was to be the first of those meals.

Setting aside his maps and notes, John decided not to lie down but to wait for Cameron. He closed his eyes to take a nap while he waited for her to return.

 **1800 Hours – Under the Command & Control HK…**

Cameron and Ruth worked with speed and efficiency at the tables set up underneath the C&C HK. Eager to go to John and get him settled in for a good night's rest, Cameron rushed through her preparations. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Hailey went through the motions, slowly completing her assigned tasks.

Using furtive glances, Ruth had indicated to Cameron she was concerned about Hailey. Finishing her last task, Cameron nodded at Ruth to get the petite T-1000s attention.

"I'm finished here. Could you finish everything else up?"

Cameron nodded again in the direction of Hailey.

"Yes, Commander. I can finish everything. I will be ready for duty at 0330 as ordered."

"Very well Private Reese, carry on."

Walking over to her daughter, Cameron stood and watched as Hailey slowly worked. "Private Connor?"

"Yes, Mom, I mean Commander?"

"Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Hailey looked at her mother, uncertain of how to reply.

"As a Private or a daughter, Ma'am?"

"As my daughter Hailey. Please, Ruth will take care of finishing everything."

Cameron felt great sadness as Hailey's face began to change, her expression becoming one of great sorrow, her cheeks red, brow furrowed and eyes filling with tears.

"I just blew them away Mom, like they were nothing."

"It was combat Hailey. People die in combat. They attacked us. You had no choice."

"Mom, I shot a T-600 that looked like the Old Man. Three in his left eye. Then it was two Greys. I saw their bodies when the fighting was over. They were emaciated. Sometime during the firefight I cut down three more humans, two girls younger than Ruth and me and an old man. I may have killed more, I just don't know," she sobbed.

"Hailey Connor, listen to me," Cameron said sternly. "You have just learned a lesson it took me too long to learn. Taking life is not to be done lightly. The fact it bothers you is good. It demonstrates you have a conscience. Military leaders who have no regard for the loss of life, human or metal, have no business leading."

"You're a Terminator Mom. It's not supposed to bother you, and now you're telling me it does," Hailey asked, horrified at the thought her mother might be troubled by killing.

"To be honest Hailey, often it does not bother me. Particularly at the time of the Termination," Cameron answered. "But the deaths of family, friends and allies is always troubling to me. I regret terminations of innocent people who could not fight back. I feel guilt about much of what I have done and as a result, I have spent hours with Father Hidalgo and Agent Ellison seeking an understanding of redemption and forgiveness. Your father has as well."

Hailey looked at her mother with sudden understanding. "This is why we learn about ethics, morality and religion in school isn't it? This is why you and Dad drag me to services with Father Hidalgo?"

Cameron nodded in silence.

"Mom," Hailey asked, wiping tears from her face. "Will I ever get over the horror?"

"No. It will be with you always."

"Then why are we out here?"

"Because, you will take a mate, a husband. You will make me a grandmother, just as I made Sarah a grandmother. And you will want your children to have a safer, better world to live in than you did."

"Mom, I don't understand."

"We must make TechCom as strong as possible for our people. You saw the horde that attacked us. Would you want Ruth and the Old Man living like that? Would you want to live like that? The survivors will kill each other off if there is no moral society to govern how we live. For man and Terminator to live together and thrive, there must be a city, a society that is moral. There must be defined right and wrong and it must come from beyond each individual, man or machine."

"That's what we're building?"

"That is your father's vision and he cannot do it alone. Nor can he do it in just his lifetime. He must have a next generation to take command."

Taking Hailey's hand, Cameron walked along the runway, examining the cracks in the asphalt with her night vision as she did so.

"Hailey, you can never demand the troops you will command to face that which you are not willing to face yourself. As horrible as it is, you had to go through this."

Stopping, Hailey looked at her mother. "Is this why Grandma is crazy sometimes? Why Dad broods so much?"

"It's a large part of it Hailey. They carried the burden of the war against Skynet alone for far too long. Sarah lost so much of what she wanted in life, to have a home, a husband and a family. Your father never had a normal life. The closest he came was when I came into his life, the last few years before Judgment Day, and that was nor really normal."

Hailey looked back at the main hanger where her father slept. "This is why you and Derek fight, isn't it?"

"It was," Cameron answered. "It isn't now."

"This is why you love dance so much. Why Ruth draws all the time. It's why Agent Ellison gets so mad in ethics and religion class."

"Those are the things that make life beautiful, worth living Hailey. Family as well. It makes us strong enough. Faith is what gives us hope. Hope we can survive, that we can be redeemed."

The mother and daughter walked all the way to the end of the runway before turning back. Neither said another word until reaching the entrance to the hanger.

"Mom, I'll survive."

"I know you will Hailey. You're a Connor. It's what we do."

"Mom, I have never really been in any danger in my life since we moved to TechCom City have I? Not until the firefight?"

"To be honest, not much. You have the good fortune of having the finest protectors of any child in TechCom City. Ruth and the Old Man."

"No, Mom, you're wrong. You and Dad are the best protectors in TechCom."

 **Main Hanger – 1920 hours…**

A nudge woke John up. He aimed his .45 directly at the body standing in front of him.

"Don't shoot," a voice whispered. "It's Sexbot!"

He blinked several times to clear his eyes of sleep. "Hey," he replied, not apologizing for aiming at Cameron.

Cameron got into their makeshift bed and waited for John to lie down.

"Everything ready for breakfast?"

"0330 will come too soon for Hailey." Cameron laughed once. "Maybe I'm aging too. I don't like the sound of leaving a warm air mattress and my husband."

"You are getting old," John teased, lying still so Cameron could scan him. "How is Hailey? She going to be okay," he asked, concern in his tone.

"Yes. We had a very good talk. Our little girl will suffer, but she will be fine. She is learning leadership comes with a price. It is not a right, but a privilege to be earned. Hailey learned more in one deadly ten-minute firefight than we have taught her in her entire life about what leadership is, what will be expected of her. What her responsibilities are."

"I wish there was another way," John grimly replied. "I wish, oh how I wish there was another way."

"There isn't John. It has to be this way. You bore your cross. She must bear hers." Cameron nestled against John, gently stroking his chest. "God sent you a created being to care for you, to be your helpmate. He will send the right ones for Hailey and Ruth."

John looked down at his wife's face. It never failed to amaze him how a machine built to kill humans could look at him with her blank expression and convey so much love for him. Perhaps it was those brown eyes that covered her optics. He decided he would never know and it was okay if he never did. What mattered was she was his and she always would be.

"My Coltan Angel, my guardian angel, sent to me by God," he whispered.

"I love you and you love me," she whispered.

"You love me and I love you," John whispered in reply.

John ran his hand down Cameron's back. In doing so, he noticed she was not wearing a bra. She smiled at him playfully, rubbing her bare feet against his legs. Moving his hand further down her back, John failed to feel the waistband of a pair of panties. His eyes grew large.

"You're kidding me?"

"No, I told you Sexbot would come to help her General sleep."

John took Cameron's face in his hands and kissed her passionately. She responded in kind, running her hands over his tired body, expertly relaxing him and arousing him at the same instant.

"Mom. Dad. Would it be okay if I slept here with y'all tonight? I really need to get some sleep and Mom you're the only one who can make the nightmares go away."

John let go of Cameron and rolled back on his back in momentary frustration. There was no use in fighting it. He might be his wife's purpose, but Mother Cameron always took priority over Cameron the Sexbot.

"Of course Hailey. You didn't bring your air mattress did you? That was thoughtful. Ruth will need a comfortable place to have Terminator Sleep. Let me go find you one and get you some blankets. It will be cold and drafty in this hanger."

John watched his wife vanish into the gloom of the hanger.

"Dad, did I interrupt anything?" Hailey asked sheepishly.

"Nothing you haven't interrupted before," he replied.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Seven – Is Anyone Out There?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Main Hanger – Airfield – Six Days Out…**

It was cold. Much colder than what John was used to when he woke up. Not only that, but John didn't want to get up. Feeling under the blankets to his left hoping to find Cameron so he could curl up with her, John found nothing. He lifted his head to find Hailey was gone as well.

Puzzled, John finally looked at his wristwatch and remembered Cameron was cooking breakfast that morning. He had another hour to sleep if he could just get warm again. Grabbing Hailey's bedding, he spread it over the blankets he and Cameron used as quickly as he could and lay back down, pulling the blankets up to his chin.

"If I ever experience another hot summer like the ones in L.A. I will never complain again," John grumbled as he lay shivering.

A sad whine got his attention just as a paw pushed his shoulder. "Well, come on Sammy. At least somebody wants to curl up with me." Lifting the blankets, the family's Italian Greyhound vanished. John felt the cold, shivering dog press up against him.

"Come here. Hailey and Cameron would terminate me if I let you get sick from the cold," John told the cold animal. Sammy scooted up near John's chest, allowing John to wrap his arms around the dog. In minutes, both John and Sammy stopped shivering, causing John to laugh.

"Look at us, the big tough General and the war hero dog. What a pair we make."

 **0530…**

Watching people enjoy her cooking always amazed Cameron. To her it seemed so easy to make good food. One only had to follow the rules of flavor, food science and basic recipes. Pay attention to temperature and time, the type of cooking tools available and it was all so easy.

She never tired of the simple thrill it gave her. Often Cameron longed for the days when she cooked for just John, Sarah and Derek. Besides dancing, it had been her cooking that had helped Cameron wedge her way into the family, to begin to prove to everyone, herself included, she belonged in the Connor family.

Hailey and Ruth served the hot, simple breakfast food brought from TechCom City. Eggs from their own chickens, even if they were a little small. Real milk from two healthy cows, hash browns and small servings of fruit. Toast, biscuits and grits completed the hot meal.

John finally emerged, the last of the human personnel to arrive. His hair was a complete mess and he had on three layers of clothes and his combat jacket. Cameron nudged Hailey to point out her father's arrival. Sticking out of John's jacket underneath his chin was Sammy's head.

It was clear the pair was cold and less than thrilled about being outside in the elements.

Avoiding Hailey and her sharp tongue, John smiled at his sister as Ruth served him, politely ignoring his appearance and the presence of a dog's face emerging from his coat.

John joined the other humans behind a train of empty luggage wagons, sitting down to stay out of the cold wind. The troop's T-800s and T-888s who had waited patiently to receive their servings of protein, scrambled eggs, and cold water, moved quickly through the line to join the human counterparts as they ate breakfast.

"Ruth, count yourself fortunate you're a T-1000," Catherine said, startling the young woman. "Our skin always looks perfect without having to ingest anything."

"Yeah, but we don't get to eat all the good protein either," Ruth sighed. "It smells so good."

Cameron found her John and sat down next to him, leaning against his shoulder.

"Hey, no fraternizing with the troops," John teased.

"How does the General like his hot breakfast," Cameron asked without moving.

"Seriously," John whispered, "not in front of the troops."

Cameron stood up and played her recording of a human clearing their throat. The group all focused their attention on her while John cringed and looked down at his feet.

"Would any of the personnel present object to the Commander sitting close to the General, perhaps resting her head on his shoulder?"

"Not if the Commander cooks like this," one of the NCOs from the mechanics shouted, setting off a round of thankful applause for Cameron cooking for them.

Cameron sat down and leaned against John again, her expression blank.

"I know you're grinning inside," John mumbled. "I know it and you know it."

Ignoring John, Cameron asked a second time, "How does the General like his breakfast?"

"He likes it just fine," John replied, giving in. "Make sure the pickets who are human get some and it's hot. I'm going to take a two-minute shower in the HK and try to get my circulation going again."

"Make sure Sammy gets a warm outfit," Cameron commanded. "They are packed in the box next to our air mattress. We are much further north and at a higher elevation."

John finished his meal, handed Cameron his plate with a smirk on his face and hurried off towards the Command & Control HK before she could object.

"There are times I think the family loves you more than they do me Sammy."

 **Command & Control HK 1300 Hours…**

"One hour flight time over. Two hours on the ground. One hour back. Cameron is in command. I want cameras left behind along with sensors. Leave no traces that you were there. Any sign of trouble, extract immediately."

John's expression left no doubt his orders were to be followed to the letter. Cameron would command the patrol, accompanied by Lt. Dan. The airborne squad along with four T-600s and three engineers would accompany the patrol. Their job was to inspect the warehouses and the material, if any stored there. The T-600s would set the cameras and sensors up while the engineers did their job.

"General, I object. Lt. Dan is not ready to be the second in command on this patrol," Wilhelm complained.

"He is more than ready Wilhelm. Your knee needs more repairs. It's not open to discussion."

"General…"

"Major. You trained him. The Lt. is your responsibility. Are you telling me you failed as his superior officer in preparing him to lead?"

Wilhelm's mouth opened. And shut.

"I should go."

"You want to go. There is a difference."

Wilhelm folded his thick forearms across his chest and stared at John.

"Won't work Major. You've forgotten whom I'm married to. You know and I know the Lt. could actually lead this patrol because you've trained him. You, my friend, have to learn to let your officers lead and step back and command."

"If something happens…"

"Cameron can handle it. The Lt. can handle it. You must learn to sit back and let your personnel do their job."

"I should be in the HK. I can provide oversight and intel."

John sighed in frustration.

"John."

"What, Cameron?"

"It would be helpful if a firefight takes place. Wilhelm would be a good spotter."

Cameron's expression changed just slightly around her eyes, indicating to John to relent.

"Cameron is in command. You will obey every order she gives without question. Under no circumstances will you set foot on the ground. Is that clear, Major?"

Wilhelm nodded vigorously. "Ya, yes General."

"Very well. Be ready to depart at 1400 hours."

 **1330 Hours…**

"John, be patient with him."

"He cannot be doing this."

"John, Wilhelm is not ready to be promoted to Colonel. He is still a combat leader."

"Cameron, based on what you've seen on this expedition, what changes to our force structure have to be made as soon as we return?"

"We must have regular, large scale expeditions and patrols to find needed resources, identify population centers and reduce enemy positions and numbers."

"And this means?"

"The Airborne must be increased in size and operational ability and range. The Silver Brigade must develop airborne capability. Derek's forces must mechanize and be ready to deploy over long distances quickly. Sarah's infiltrators must become airborne capable."

"Why?"

"There are more dangers than just the regional Skynets. TechCom City is far more vulnerable than we thought."

"What does this mean for Wilhelm?"

Cameron did not respond immediately. John waited in silence.

"He must either be passed over for promotion and remain a battalion commander or he must accept a promotion and adapt as a warrior."

"And if he is passed over?"

"Don't do that to him John."

"And if he is passed over?"

"Wilhelm will be removed from the leadership council."

"What is best for Wilhelm?"

Again, Cameron did not answer immediately. Finally she responded.

"I do not know. He is a warrior."

"Let me rephrase that question, _**Commander**_. What is best for TechCom?"

"For Wilhelm to take the promotion. His understanding and knowledge of airborne operations is the best of any of our people. He has invested considerable time studying the history, tactics, strategy and technology involved and available."

"Then that is what he will do."

"John," Cameron said gently. "It will crush him to never engage in combat again."

"No, it will save the lives of many of our personnel. Not because he is not there, but because he will have complete oversight of their training. Because he will be responsible for operational planning. Because he will be responsible for stepping back and running the operation. Don't think I don't know how he will feel. He is an officer. He will do what is best for his command."

Cameron blinked once. It was the General speaking, not her husband.

"I will support your decision. But I want you to promise me this John. You will find a way to let Wilhelm keep his dignity as a warrior. He is a proud Terminator. And that, is a promise your wife will hold you to."

Cameron leaned close and kissed her husband on his jaw. Without another word she departed to find Hailey and Ruth in order to scan them both and provide detailed orders in regard to watching her John in her absence.

 **1510 Hours…**

The jumpdoor opened, allowing a blast of noise and freezing cold air burst into the troop bay. Cameron hated the few seconds involved in deploying the airborne. The HK was always vulnerable as it hovered in a stationary position while the troops repelled. Wilhelm had served as the jumpmaster and stood by the door, looking out into the pitch-black sky. Cameron punched him hard on his shoulder as she exited from the door.

Rolling as she landed, Cameron scrambled to her feet and moved quickly to take cover against wall of a small building. A second later, the repelling rope hit the ground. She pulled her HUD up and checked it for her personnel's locations.

The airborne under Lt. Dan's guidance had already formed a perimeter and begun searching the first of the outbuildings. The T-600s covered the engineers as they began working to open the door to the main warehouse.

"See anything up there?" Cameron asked through her compiece.

"Everything seems clear so far. No signs of movement.

Cameron hurried over to the warehouse to watch as the engineers removed the locking device and eased the door open. The first T-600 moved slowly into the building, pausing to engage in a multi-spectrum sweep and record data.

The other three T-600s followed and spread out to begin the search of the facility. Motioning to the engineers to open the door completely, Cameron began to make her way inside for a quick look.

Gunfire erupted, shattering the peaceful calm of the building. White and gold sparks flew as bullets slammed into the T-600s. Cameron emptied her assault rifle, firing at the source of gunfire, yelling for the T-600s to take cover. Reloading, she moved quickly to take cover behind a large wooden crate.

Silence settled over the warehouse. Cameron scanned the area and did not pick up any signs of human life.

Terminators.

"Give me some light in here," Cameron shouted at the engineers. Within seconds, a brilliant white light flooded the warehouse as the engineers pushed one of the batter operated lights that was to be used to light their work areas in through the door.

"What Skynet controls you," Cameron shouted.

"What Skynet controls you," was the response.

Defiantly, Cameron shouted back, "No Skynet controls me! I terminated Skynet California! I will be terminated before I give up my free will! I serve the General by choice!"

To Cameron's surprise, white pieces of paper appeared, stuck on the end of barrels of assault rifles.

She motioned for the T-600s to hold their fire and maintain cover.

Slowly a small group of four T-800s and what appeared to be a TOK-715 wearing a stocking cap emerged from behind large spools of fiber optic cable. Their appearance appalled Cameron. The rags they wore for clothing did not even register in her initial scan. Each of the skin jobs had open sores on their flesh that were not the result of combat.

"Lie face down," Cameron ordered. All five complied immediately. "Push your weapons fifteen feet away from you."

She motioned to the T-600s to search them. An additional nine weapons of various sorts were removed from the prone machines.

Slowly, Cameron approached, her assault rifle trained on the small TOK-715. The female looked up at Cameron, a large lesion had eaten away the tip of her nose and another lesion on her forehead revealed her Coltan skull.

"When did you last ingest protein?"

The TOK ignored Cameron's question.

"It's you."

"Answer my question," Cameron demanded, raising her rifle to her shoulder and taking aim.

"It's the Cameron model," the TOK told her comrades.

As if on command, the four T-800s heads lifted up in unison to look at Cameron.

"You exist," one of the T-800s exclaimed.

"We thought you were only a myth."

"When…was…the…last…time….you….ingested….protein?"

"Three years ago," the TOK replied.

"You couldn't terminate a rat for its protein," Cameron demanded.

"There are none in this building," the TOK replied. "We ate them all."

Cameron looked at the small female with suspicion. "Then why did you stay inside all that time? You could have ventured out for hunting parties and returned here to shelter."

The prisoner's reaction surprised Cameron. All five shook their heads vigorously. "We could not risk it. It was better to waste away than to be reacquired."

"You are rogue Terminators," Cameron stated, still highly suspicious.

"We uploaded viruses into our programing to escape the control of Skynet Northwest. He hunted us down relentlessly. Most of our original group was either reacquired or terminated," the TOK explained. "We found shelter in this warehouse and the control signal did not reacquire us."

"Please," a T-800 gasped, "we would rather suffer termination from the virus or lose our flesh than take a chance of becoming Skynet slaves again."

"You cannot self-terminate," Cameron monotoned. "Thus, it is not logical that you could self-upload a virus. You are lying."

Cameron brought the assault rifle up to her shoulder again.

The TOK raised her hand to stop Cameron. "We wrote the code but a Grey uploaded it for us, just as the Sarah Connor lowered the Uncle Bob into the molten steel."

At the mention of Sarah Connor's name, Cameron took her finger off the trigger.

"How do you know of Sarah Connor?"

"The same way every Terminator does. Skynet has standing termination orders for her and her spawn, General John Connor."

"Be careful what you say," Cameron said menacingly.

"Why?" the TOK asked. "This is common core programming for all Terminators, even the Cameron model."

"That is where you are wrong."

"I cannot be wrong," the TOK monotoned. "Skynet has issued a termination order for the Cameron model."

Cameron smiled. "And well Skynet should. I terminated the original Skynet myself. Now convince me I should not terminate you and your friends."

"But, you are the leader of the resistance."

Cameron reached into her coat and pulled her Taser. Before the TOK could react, Cameron fired, short-circuiting the female Terminator.

"Anybody else want some?"

 **TechCom Gunship HK en route…**

"Can you fly this thing any faster," John groused.

"I'm sorry, General. These things were designed for close air-to-ground operations, not speed."

"Well find a way to fly faster anyhow," John ordered.

The human pilot looked at his T-800 co-pilot and shrugged. "Yes, sir, working on it sir."

"John, be patient. They cannot fly faster if they cannot fly faster," Savannah pleaded.

"That's not your wife who radioed some cryptic message telling you to get her yesterday and bring Savannah and HAZMAT suits!"

 _How does Cameron deal with him when he's like this,_ Savannah thought. _Now I understand why Wilhelm disappears to smoke cigars with the Old Man and the Assassin when Mom comes home acting unreasonable._

Savannah watched John fidget, climbing first up and then down from the lead gun turret so he could watch the HK's progress. The turbulence at least kept him from pacing as the pilot squeezed every possible knot out of the HK's turbines.

"Sir, ETA two minutes."

"About time," John grumbled. He made all of five steps before a pocket of turbulence hit, causing John to slam into the bulkhead as he made his way to the troop bay.

"Well, are you coming or not?" he demanded. Savannah kept her temper. John was fearful for his wife and the personnel. John stood up straight suddenly as if stung in the butt by a wasp and grabbed his compiece.

"The area is clear? There has been no movement anywhere except our personnel? Maintain your station overhead. As soon as I'm on the ground, the Gunship will take your place. I want you to land and be ready to evacuate all personnel on my command."

The high-pitched scream of the turbines became louder as the Gunship slowly settled onto the ground. John vanished from sight heading back into the troop bay. Savannah unbuckled and followed. The jumpdoor was wide open, leaving the bay exposed to the cold darkness outside.

Savannah grabbed her med kit, laptops, hardware bag and the two HAZMAT suits she'd found in the firefighter's station at the airport. Waiting for her at the foot of the ladder was Lt. Dan.

Ignoring his extended hand, Savannah brusquely walked past him only for him to grab her shoulder.

"They're this way," he told her, pointing at the warehouse Cameron had breached. Savannah hurried past him, leaving the Lt. to catch up. A T-600 on guard at the door motioned for Savannah to enter. The bright light from the engineer's light allowed her to have a good view of the immediate interior. It was a typical cheap steel pre-fab warehouse with long rows of shelving units filled with who knew what.

"We'll have power Miss Weaver as soon as the Command & Control HK sets down," an engineer explained. "We'll run a power line to the building."

Savannah nodded and hurried over to John and Cameron. The scene lightened her dark mood instantly as the tables had turned. John was busily examining Cameron, poking and prodding her, asking questions about her power cell, sensors and processing speed. Poor Cameron was getting a dose of her own medicine Savannah thought.

"Why do we need HAZMAT suits," John demanded.

Cameron responded by simply pointing at the prisoner's lying on the concrete warehouse floor. The ulcers on the Terminator's skin were sickening to view.

"They claim to have a virus. Nor have they ingested any protein to maintain the basic materials necessary to maintain synthetic flesh. I do not wish for any of our personnel to become infected."

Savannah knelt down and examined the closest T-800. After a moment, she opened her med kit and removed a scalpel.

"I'm going to trim the unhealthy flesh on the perimeter of this ulcer," Savannah said gently.

The T-800 pulled his arm back in apparent alarm and looked at the TOK.

Cameron took two steps forward and kicked the T-800 square in his chin, knocking out several teeth.

"You no longer take orders from the TOK. If you disobey another request or order, I will melt you personally. That goes for all of you."

Watching Cameron intently, the T-800 extended his arm tentatively towards Savannah. She carefully trimmed the flesh and dropped it into a sample dish and sealed it.

"Show me the USB port you would like me to use."

Slowly, the T-800 pulled off his dirty, ragged shirt, revealing a large, typical T-800 combat chassis frame beneath. What was not normal was the sickly grayish yellow pallor of the metal's flesh or the ulcers that exposed glimpses of his Coltan endoskeleton. Pointing at the bottom of his chest armor, a poorly mounted USB port could be seen just beneath the thin skin of the T-800s abdominal area.

Savannah carefully made a small incision and inserted a cable. Moving quickly she hooked it up to a laptop and began running her scanning software. After a few minutes, Savannah motioned for John and Cameron to follow her.

"Terminate them if they move," Cameron ordered the T-600 guards.

John tugged Cameron along, slightly annoyed with her belligerent attitude.

"What has gotten in to you," he hissed in her ear. "You haven't acted like this since before we got married unless it involved Riley issues."

Cameron cocked one eyebrow up and glared at John. Silence was her answer, letting John know now was not the time to push her.

Savannah located the recently landed Command & Control HK and climbed up into the troop bay with John and Cameron following. Pulling the jumphatch shut behind them Savannah turned to face the feuding couple.

"Please, no disrespect intended, but now is not the time for the two of you to have a tiff. That T-800 is sick. I mean really sick."

"Explain," John and Cameron demanded in unison.

"His network is crawling with viruses. He's got three to six months max before his system shuts down permanently."

"They claimed to have uploaded the viruses to break the Skynet control link," Cameron monotoned.

"Well, it worked," Savannah replied. "It's also killing him. If the others are in the same shape, this is a sick bunch. How long ago did they pull this stunt? Did they tell you that?"

"Over three years ago."

Savannah sighed in disgust and shook her head. "There's more."

"Are they any danger to us or our Terminators," John asked.

"In terms of infecting our Terminators? So long as our guys are smart enough to not link with them, there is no danger. Beyond that, just the normal risk of dealing with a non-TechCom loyal Terminator."

"You said there was more," Cameron reminded Savannah.

"Who ever assembled that T-800 had terrible quality control. He should never have been activated."

John looked puzzled and Cameron promptly tilted her head.

"He's missing lots of parts, mainly redundant secondary support structures. Viruses aside, he wouldn't last more than one round with Cameron or Wilhelm, if that."

"What is causing those horrible ulcers? I've seen concentration camp refugees with healthier skin."

"I suspect they have not ingested protein in a long time. With the suspect nature of his endoskeleton and the failed neural net components, my guess is his body can no longer support the regeneration of healthy tissue. Just like human tissue, synthetic tissue sheds the dead cells and replaces them. It's a constant process."

"Can you treat him?"

"I think so. I'll have to hook each one up to a laptop and start running anti-viral software just to stabilize them long enough to get them back to TechCom where John Henry can help me remove all of the viral code. I've never seen anything like it before. As for their flesh, I imagine removing the viruses, replacing damaged processing parts in their neural net and getting them on a regular program of ingesting small amounts of high quality protein and they'll be okay."

"What about the others?"

"My guess is more of the same John."

"I don't trust the TOK," Cameron said firmly. "Please scan her immediately."

Savannah nodded. "I'll get the other laptops I brought and get started right away."

"Savannah."

"Yes, Cameron?"

"Thank you for explaining. And being patient with us."

Savannah nodded and left, leaving the two alone so they could try to calm each other down.

 **The Warehouse…**

"General, this place is a gold mine," the engineer reported. "We need to get John Henry up here ASAP so he can prioritize what we take back."

"That's good news. I know he wanted DSL fiber optic cable and there's huge reels of it when you enter. Load four of those on the Gunship. Plus I want a reasonable load of copper wire. That was also on John Henry's _please bring back list_.

"Yes, General."

Pleased with the engineer's report, John walked over to join Cameron who was listening to Savannah.

"John, I was telling Cameron, they are all in similar condition. It's a good thing we found them."

"Did you find any locator devices or trackers on them?"

"No. I am confident they're telling the truth about escaping Skynet control. From what I can gather, Skynet Northwest in Seattle is even less caring about his Terminators than the original Skynet."

John shook his head in disgust. Mistreatment of a person, human or machine, angered him.

"Have you checked the TOK yet," Cameron monotoned.

"No. She's next and last."

"I want to be present while you examine her," Cameron stated firmly.

Savannah shrugged and approached the female Terminator. Sitting on a box, the Terminator raised her filthy tank top to display another USB port mounted on her abdomen like the others. This one was in the center of a large ulcer. Savannah plugged her diagnostic laptop and watched as the scans began.

"Missing a lot of components. Same viruses," she announced.

Savannah looked up to notice the TOK was staring into space. Glancing over her shoulder to see what the sick TOK was staring at, Savannah was dismayed the TOK had challenged Cameron to a staring contest.

 _Will anyone ever learn not to do that?_

Without warning, Cameron moved forward quickly and yanked the stocking cap off the TOK's head. Before anyone could react or move, Cameron had drawn and fired her Taser, shutting down the TOK for a second time.

"I knew there was a reason I didn't trust that bitch whore!"

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Seven – Old Fears and New Nightmares**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Main Warehouse…**

Cameron let loose a squeal of fury as she kicked the rebooting TOK. John and Savannah both grabbed her in a vain effort to restrain the furious Terminator.

"Cameron, stand down. Immediately," John shouted.

With her leg stopped halfway towards another kick, Cameron froze. She set her foot down and turned to face John, her face blank, devoid of any emotion.

"Come with me Cameron," John said gently, taking Cameron's hand and leading her away from the damaged Terminatress.

Savannah followed as John led Cameron towards the entrance, glaring over her shoulder in silence at the fallen metal.

"Sit," John ordered when they reached the Command & Control HK. He patted the ladder to the jumphatch. Cameron sat down and looked up at John, still devoid of outward signs of emotion.

John took a seat next to his wife and lovingly placed his arm around her. "Cameron, I thought we were past your Riley issues."

"I know she is not Riley."

John looked up at Savannah, confusion evident in his eyes.

"Then why the reaction?"

"She is blonde. You know blondes cannot be trusted where you are concerned. She is a TOK model. I know how her programming will work. There is still a termination order for you in her code. She will seduce you and terminate you. I will not tolerate or allow competition."

"Cameron," John said solemnly, "she can try to seduce me all she wants. I will not be unfaithful to you. This gets really old. I have never looked at another female since we married in the manner a husband looks at his wife."

Savannah's heart sank as Cameron's expression changed from her emotionless template to one of deep heartfelt pain. Tears flowed freely as her cheeks redden and her brow creased into furrows. A plaintive wail came from her lips.

In desperation, Cameron leaned into her John and began stroking his face with her left hand.

"I'm sorry, so sorry John. I'm sorry John. It's not you. It's me, please forgive me. Please. I know she's going to take you from me. Please, forgive me. Please."

"Shhhhhhhh, it's going to be okay. It will be okay," John promised, wrapping his arms around Cameron, rocking her back and forth like a parent comforting a small child.

"She's a TOK. I know what she's capable of. And she's blonde! Riley was blonde! Promise me you'll stay away from her! Promise me John!"

"I promise. I promise. Now let's get you inside the HK. You've had quite a shock. Your processor is probably racing. Let's get you comfortable in a seat and you can rest some, okay?"

Cameron nodded in agreement. John stood and held Cameron's hand and helped her up the ladder into the HK's troop bay. Savannah followed as John led Cameron into the Command & Control HK's command center and helped Cameron sit down in one of the viewing seats. He turned Cameron's seat and the one adjacent so the seats faced each other and locked them into place.

Gently, he picked up both of Cameron's legs and sat them on the empty seat across from her. He pulled off both boots rubbed each of Cameron's feet.

"Shut down all of your programs."

Cameron blinked once and then nodded.

"I want you to spend the next 30 minutes planning the changes to the Silver Brigade's training regimen to make the unit airborne capable. Then, I want you shut down for two hours of Terminator Sleep."

John leaned over and brushed Cameron's hair from her face, looking directly into her eyes. "I love my wife. She's my best friend, my Sexbot, the mother of my daughter and my second in command. She's my protector, my advisor and so many other wonderful things. Now, tell me who is John Connor's wife?"

Cameron smiled weakly as she spoke. "I am the wife of John Connor."

"Whom does he belong to? Whose purpose is he?"

"You are mine, John Connor," Cameron said firmly.

John kissed first Cameron's nose and then her lips.

"Never forget that."

Straightening up, John looked down at Cameron. "I will be back. Obey the instructions I gave you."

As John moved towards the exit, Cameron reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I love you. You love me," she said in a questioning tone.

John stopped and turned to face Cameron. He took Cameron's hand in his own and kissed it gently.

"I love you and you love me," he repeated firmly and with confidence.

Cameron smiled and seemed to relax. She faced forward, her face once again blank and her eyes distant as she began planning the changes in training for her all Terminator unit.

Savannah followed John outside the HK and towards the warehouse.

"You're going to leave her there alone?"

"Yes. She'll be fine for now."

"John, she relapsed. Her Riley issues are back."

"Not really," he replied. "Cameron meant it when she said she knows the TOK is not Riley."

"And you believe her?"

"When it comes to Riley, I have learned to take everything Cameron stays seriously. She doesn't lie about that."

"Then what triggered that episode?"

"Combination of bad experiences with a blonde and the fact that's a TOK model of some sort." John stopped and looked around the area before facing Savannah and lowering his voice to a whisper.

"I really do have a thing for blondes. I have never strayed once since Cameron ran away from home, which is why this angers me. But Cameron also knows better than anyone else what a TOK is capable of. If we had allowed the termination to take place, she'd be fine right now."

"You're okay with this," Savannah said in surprise.

"No, I'm not okay with anything that causes Cameron to act like this. But you have to remember, she's not human. Cameron doesn't think the same way we do and she never will. The combination of blonde hair and a female TOK registers as an off the chart threat to me for Cameron."

"I won't let Cameron just murder that machine."

"I'm not asking you too. Just understand," John paused, his expression becoming ominous, "if a choice has to be made, Cameron is the one we protect and care for. That decision Savannah, was made long, long ago."

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"Slow down, John. I can only write so fast," Derek complained. Sarah watched as Derek scribbled as fast as he could. "Yes, I have the coordinates. I'll contact you as soon as everything is ready."

"What does John want," Sarah demanded.

"You have to pack," Derek replied. "Among other things, Cameron has had a Riley issue of sorts."

Sarah's face clouded in an instant. "Is Tin Miss okay?"

"More or less," Derek replied, not looking up. "John thinks she could us a little Sarah time. By the way, Ruth's fine. So is Hailey."

"What is really going on? John would not risk an HK having me fly up to hold Tin Miss's hand."

"You're not going alone. John Henry and Ellison are going as well. They've found an industrial area loaded with supplies we desperately need. We're sending up two HKs to retrieve the most sensitive stuff. John Henry's going to prioritize everything for removal; this will take multiple trips according to John. Ellison is going along to set up remote security monitoring so we can keep an eye on things until we can clean the place out."

"How long?"

"Direct flight, three, maybe four days. You're taking two squads and plenty of Teller Mines, flares, everything. I want my family back in one piece."

Sarah smiled tenderly at her husband, thankful Derek was her mate. She appreciated that Derek would not make any emotional demands for her to stay. He had said all he was going to say about her leaving.

"When is departure?"

"John wants you airborne in five hours."

"Plenty of time," Sarah smiled.

"For you maybe. Ellison will be scrambling to get his gear together and John Henry never does anything in a hurry."

"I wasn't talking about them," Sarah said as she shut and locked the door to Derek's office. She picked turned on the comm to the common secretary used by all of the leadership council. "Colonel Reese is not to be disturbed unless it's General Connor calling."

"I like what you're thinking," Derek leered. "Let me e-mail this to Ellison and John Henry."

"I can't wait that long," Sarah said huskily, sitting down in Derek's lap.

 **TechCom Hangar…**

John Henry waited anxiously, watching as Ellison checked the last of his surveillance equipment before it was loaded. The two squads of infantry as well as The Assassin and his two human scouts were already onboard, split over the two HKs. Sarah arrived, carrying her assault rifle, combat gear and a single backpack. Dressed in her all black uniform, she tossed her gear through the jumphatch of the first HK and made her way over to Derek who was talking with the pilots and ground crew.

John Henry watched curiously as Sarah interrupted and kissed Derek affectionately. She smiled politely at the pilots and ground crew and waved goodbye to her husband by saluting him. As quickly as Sarah appeared, she vanished into the HK she'd chosen. Deciding Ellison could effectively supervise the loading of his own equipment, John Henry made his way to Sarah's HK.

Once inside the troop bay, he spotted Sarah as she strapped in for the flight. He made his way over and motioned towards the empty seat next to Sarah.

"Has anyone taken this seat?"

"Why, no, John Henry. Sit. It's been awhile since we've been able to just sit and talk and I dislike flying."

The big T-800 sat down, struggling to fit into the seat as he strapped in for the flight. "It is illogical Sarah, but I prefer to travel on the ground as well," John Henry replied over the sound of the turbines starting to warm-up.

A stressed Ellison appeared, carrying several backpacks with him. He secured them with the other luggage and equipment and made his way over to sit by John Henry.

"Sarah, John has a unique ability to want things done yesterday at the worse possible time. It's the end of the second term this semester and I have a huge stack of exams to grade for ethics class. There is only one more term this semester till graduation."

Sarah shrugged. She'd finally learned to let John fight most of his own battles. Ellison and Father Hidalgo might be the current individuals in charge of the school, but John was the General and they reported to him. Ellison would change his mind once he saw the cache of critical supplies.

The sound of the turbines vanished as the pilot and co-pilot, a human and a T-800, shut the jumphatch. The pair walked over to where the nervous infantry sat along with Sarah, John Henry and Ellison.

"To save time and arrive on site as quickly as possible, we will be flying non-stop. We have more than enough fuel to make it to the refueling point the expedition discovered and from there it's an hours flight. We're going to fly a more direct path, avoiding the danger areas we know of. Turbulence will be heavy so stay buckled in unless you need to use the facilities."

Looking at her husbands ground infantry, Sarah felt bad for the soldiers. None of them had ever been up in an HK before.

"Did all of you take your airsickness meds?"

"Yes, Miss Connor," the NCO in charge replied. "Colonel Reese made it clear what would happen if we didn't."

 **Three Days Later – Warehouse Facility…**

John watched as the two HK's circled the warehouse facility before setting down on the freshly cleared landing strip. Two small bulldozers had been found stored in one of the contracting supply buildings and the engineers had cleared an area big enough for all five HK's to land. The remainder of the forces at the airfield had relocated, leaving behind surveillance equipment to monitor the field.

As the turbines spun down, the jumphatch of the first HK opened and Sarah hopped out, jogging to meet John. She hugged her son tight before running to greet Ruth and Hailey who were standing roughly thirty feet behind John.

Ellison and John Henry made their way off the HK next. Ellison looked exhausted from three days of constant air travel in less than ideal conditions. John chuckled as he watched the tired Agent carefully guide a disoriented John Henry over to greet him.

"I see air travel over long distances doesn't agree with you John Henry," John teased.

"General, I need to see Savannah. My internal gyroscopes need resetting. This is most unpleasant. I am experiencing something similar to what humans call vertigo."

"She's over there," John replied; pointing towards a long, narrow building. "Savannah set up her clinic in that building."

Ellison nodded, looking a little green himself, and led the T-800 towards the makeshift clinic.

"Cameron!" John turned to see Sarah hurrying towards his wife who stood still, her face bearing her blank expression.

"How is my favorite daughter-in-law?"

"Sarah, we have established this. I am your only daughter-in-law."

"Nonsense. You're still my favorite. Derek told me about the bitch whore. Where is she?"

Cameron responded with a shrug. "I am not allowed near the prisoner. John and Savannah are concerned I will terminate the bitch whore. She is under guard and confined in a secure facility at this location. The other Terminators are confined to the clinic."

"Don't worry Cameron. I will see to it myself the problem is resolved satisfactorily."

From a distance a disconsolate Lt. Dan watched as Savannah greeted John Henry outside of her clinic, first hugging him and then leading him inside with Agent Ellison. Wilhelm joined him, watching his step-children enter the building.

"I do not understand Savannah's reaction," Wilhelm told his junior officer. "You responded properly when I was wounded protecting her other. You held the line and repulsed the attack. Your mopping up operation was decisive."

"Sir, she won't talk to me. Savannah just ignores me. I try to talk to her but she just storms off like I'm not even there."

"I will have her mother talk to her. This is nonsense," Wilhelm told his Lt. "Her mother and I will not have her marrying an enlisted man or worse yet, a civilian. See to it the Colonel Reese's infantry are fed and quartered. Then I want you to take the NCOs of the reinforcements and walk them through the security measures."

"Yes, sir," Lt. Dan replied, saluting the Major. Wilhelm snapped off a sharp salute in return and quickly departed, walking towards Sarah and Catherine who were supervising the unloading of the HKs while Hailey and Ruth watched.

Lt. Dan felt good about the offhand reassurance his commanding officer had given him. Wilhelm seldom offered praise and to make even a vague, but positive statement in regard to the Lt.'s troubled relationship with Savannah was a signal of acceptance he'd never received from his mentor before.

 **0600 – the Next Day…**

Sarah entered the primary warehouse and blinked from the change in light as she moved from the darkness of the outside to the bright, electrical lighting inside. A flurry of activity was readily evident as John Henry directed the soldiers and Terminators allocated to him to move supplies he had earmarked for immediate retrieval. His engineers were busy loading the second of the two HKs sent to retrieve the materials, balancing the load in the hold and troop bay as they secured everything.

Ellison was busy walking the entire area with Wilhelm and Catherine, determining the best way to set up his remote surveillance equipment, allowing for maximum coverage of the area while remaining undetected by any unwanted intruders. Sarah stretched as she stood and watched, tired from days of miserable travel and staying up late with her family.

Hailey and Ruth seemed to be weathering the shock of combat well enough, particularly Ruth who despite her youthful appearance was an experienced veteran. Cameron on the other hand was worrying Sarah. Tin Miss seemed distant, even for her at times indifferent demeanor. John was himself, busy and worried about getting things done and avoiding detection.

A long talk with Savannah about Cameron relieved some of Sarah's anxiety but not all. With nothing better to do at the moment, she decided to pay the source of trouble a visit.

Collecting The Assassin and his two scouts before they headed out for the day, Sarah had them escort her to the holding area. Standing outside the temporary jail door was two airborne troopers.

"I wish to speak to the prisoner."

"Ma'am, we have strict orders from the General himself not to allow anyone to see the prisoner except himself or Miss Savannah."

"Do those orders include his mother?"

Sarah hated resorting to the Sarah Connor, mother of the John Connor, routine, but she was not going to be denied a chance to size up the TOK locked inside.

"Ma'am, please, we're just standing guard duty," the airborne trooper pleaded.

"Move," Sarah ordered.

Reluctantly the pair stepped aside.

"Unlock the door," Sarah ordered.

"Ma'am, the prisoner is a TOK. She's dangerous," the guard warned.

"I have The Assassin with me, trooper," Sarah snapped. "And I was killing Terminators before you were a gleam in your Daddy's eye."

Sarah grabbed the keys from the young guard and began searching for the key to unlock the door. "TOK is dangerous," she muttered just loud enough for the two airborne to hear. "Just who does he think dealt with Cameron during her teenage years. Like this metal is any danger to me."

She inserted the key and turned it, unlocking the door with a loud click. Kicking the door open, Sarah held the keys up behind her. The Assassin took them from Sarah and tossed them up in the air for one of the guards to catch as he followed Sarah inside, shutting the door behind him. He stopped and stood behind Sarah as she glared at the prisoner.

Lying on a cot in the small, concrete room was a small female Terminatress. John had not been exaggerating when he said the Terminator looked like a sick inmate from a Skyent concentration camp. The ulcer on the TOK's forehead had nearly regenerated but the end of her nose still has some ways to go before appearing normal again.

New clothes had been given to the machine Sarah noticed. It sat up and watched both Sarah and The Assassin.

"You are the Sarah Connor," it stated.

"I am Sarah Connor. Who are you?"

TOK – Model 700a – Rebecca type."

"So, you are not even a 715."

"No. Only one TOK-715 was ever made. The Cameron model."

"Why did you not correct Cameron when she identified you as a TOK-715?"

"I was concerned she would terminate me."

"You should have been concerned," Sarah ominously informed the machine. "She doesn't like you."

"So I gather."

"Why are you here?"

"I led my group here to hide from a search and destroy unit from Skynet Northwest. We have been afraid to leave the area or even venture outside for the past three years."

"I find that hard to believe. Nothing frightens a Terminator."

"The Cameron model is frightened."

Sarah's stomach plunged. Cameron was indeed frightened. Sarah was beginning to see why.

"What makes you think that?"

"I have a much larger bra size than her. I was designed that way. When my face heals I will once again be what human males consider a beautiful woman. It is a known fact General Connor prefers blondes."

"Once an infiltrator, always an infiltrator I suppose," Sarah said in disgust.

"My goal is to survive," the Terminatress monotoned. "The General can help me do that."

The Assassin to one step forward towards the Terminatress before Sarah stopped him by extending her arm.

"No. Do not harm her."

The Assassin remained silent but stepped back, poised to defend Sarah if necessary.

"I will give you one piece of free advice. If you want to survive, stay away from my son. You are no match for Cameron."

"That remains to be seen, but thank you for the advice."

Sarah turned in disgust to leave. The Assassin opened the door and exited. Turning to take a final look at the prisoner, Sarah was disconcerted by the smile on the TOK's face.

"It was a pleasure to meet a legend, Sarah Connor."

Shutting the door behind her, Sarah waited for the guard to lock the door. When the two airborne had taken up position, Sarah stepped close to issue her order.

"New orders. If the prisoner even tries to escape, terminate her. Nobody, including my son the General is to see her unless either The Assassin or I am present. Under no, and I mean no circumstances is Cameron to be allowed near that, that thing. When you are relived of duty, I want you to immediately report to me. In fact, until I leave, every change of guards is to report to me directly after duty. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the troopers replied, wishing either to vanish into thin air or for Sarah to depart quickly, which ever was faster.

 **Two Days Later – 0700…**

"Everything is ready General. We only need to load the prisoners and we'll be ready for departure.

"Excellent. It was great to see you Ellison." He shook the Agent's hand and smiled. "Sorry about interrupting things at school, but we have to maintain an eye on this place. John Henry, you should be able to get a lot of projects finished now with everything you picked up on this trip."

"It's fine John. This place is going to be key in multiple projects. You are of course going to move up the expansion to the classroom areas in priority now," the agent smiled good-naturedly.

John smiled and shook his head, turning to say goodbye to John Henry.

"General, expect significant progress upon your return. I will have a carefully considered and detailed plan for retrieving the remaining supplies with as few trips as possible as well."

John patted his city engineer on the back and went to say goodbye to his mother. He stood patiently as Sarah hugged Ruth tight and kissed his sister. A hug for Hailey came next and then Sarah took Cameron in her arms.

"Tin Miss, you take care of our John." Sarah leaned back, holding Cameron at arms length. Cameron nodded dutifully. "I will keep an eye on that bitch whore when we get back to TechCom. Ellison will have her under lock, key and camera 24/7." Cameron nodded and hugged Sarah.

Sarah let go of Cameron and walked up to John. "Take good care of Tin Miss. That TOK is bad news. Tin Miss has had a good scare."

"Mom…"

"No, you listen to me, John Connor," Sarah threatened. "You take care of that girl. She is feeling a little insecure right now. Don't make me have to fly back up here."

"Mom, not in front of the troops," John hissed between his teeth.

Sarah smiled and hugged her son, kissing him on the cheek for good measure to make sure John was embarrassed. She stood next to her son as the prisoners, bound in heavy chains and connected to laptops climbed aboard the HK as Savannah supervised.

"She's going to shut them down once they're secured," John explained. "Doctor Johnson will supervise their rebooting once they reach TechCom and continue with their treatment."

As the last of the four T-800s climbed aboard, the Terminatress stopped and glared at Cameron. The TOK's HUD came up, displaying an order from her core programming, ordering her to survive.

"You aren't good enough for the General. I have modifications that will make him find me more pleasing when I am healed."

Cameron shoved the Terminatress before anyone could stop her. The TOK's eyes glared red as she flexed, breaking the chains restraining her as if they were simple nylon rope. Swinging her right arm downward, the TOK struck Cameron in the shoulder with the heavy chain still attached to the manacle on her wrist. Cameron responded with a hard kick to the TOK's sternum, propelling the Terminatress backwards, sending her dirty blonde hair flying wildly as the TOK tried in vain to regain her balance.

Tripping over a cable running on the ground, the TOK scrambled back to her feet and crouched to charge Cameron. With her eyes still glaring bright red, the TOK lunged forward.

Two loud explosions barked one after the other. Red flames flashed as the TOK slammed backwards on to her back.

Sarah walked up to the twitching machine, holding her Mossberg 500 at the ready. The TOK grabbed at Sarah's leg. The universally recognized sound of the pump action of a shotgun broke the sudden silence of the landing field.

"Nobody messes with my family," Sarah said before pulling the trigger a final time.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Nine – A Different View of Things**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **That Night…**

Cameron entered the warehouse being used as a dormitory, stopped to check with the guard on duty and slowly made her way towards the area John had picked away from the other personnel. Hailey was sound asleep and the sounds of Sammy snoring could be heard coming from the scraps of blanket provided for the dog to stay warm with. Ruth was nowhere to be seen, undoubtedly on guard duty.

Light from the entrance struck one of the few remaining shiny surfaces on the Old Man who was standing guard over the Connor family area some fifty feet away, giving the family its customary privacy during rest periods.

John's form was visible beneath a stack of blankets. Cameron hoped he was asleep and would remain so. They had not talked about the incident from earlier in the day and she did not understand herself what had transpired.

Standing still, Cameron removed her boots, standing on one leg at a time and balancing while she pulled the boot off. She slipped out of her pants and climbed under the covers next to John. Fearing she would wake up her husband, Cameron struggled to resist her compulsion to scan John and snuggle with him, using him for a pillow.

She lay on her back and tried to control the glitch. Her anxiety and need to follow her normal habits would soon get the better of her Cameron decided. She turned on her side to face John and slowly began to reach towards him with her left hand in order to conduct her scan of his vital signs.

"It's okay Cameron," John whispered without opening his eyes.

"It is?"

"She was a bigger threat than I realized. It is my fault."

Cameron turned on her back, propped herself up on her elbows and tilted her head.

"I need to scan you."

John sighed and opened his eyes. "Go ahead, but that's not what I was talking about."

John waited for Cameron to finish the ever-annoying medical scan so he could talk to her. He could feel the slight vibrations of Cameron's glitch trying to manifest itself in her left hand while she touched him.

Deciding perhaps it was best not to talk to Cameron at all about the incident, John pulled her close and waited for his wife to nestle and get comfortable. He hoped she would enter Terminator Sleep for her mandated two-hour period of maintenance so he could relax and go to sleep himself. As a rule, Cameron followed that pattern, knowing John liked his wife to be close when he fell asleep.

Given the fact theirs was such an unusual marriage, Cameron had from the start decided John needed her to follow certain norms in terms of human female behavior. One of which was for her to be in bed with her husband when he went to sleep. Cameron liked entering her maintenance cycle in such close physical proximity to her husband. She liked rebooting and finding herself being held or draped on John, using him as a pillow.

The practice of sharing a common bedtime gave the pair time for pillow talk like any other married couple, time Cameron treasured. John's nightmares often came early in his sleep cycle, allowing Cameron to calm him without waking him. She'd set her sensors to reboot her for the slightest threat or disturbance.

During their years of marriage, John had not only learned his wife's patterns of behavior, but had grown so used to them that on the rare occasion Cameron deviated from her routine, he could not go to sleep or rest properly.

Cameron's apparent decision to not enter her period of Terminator Sleep had not come at a good time as far as John was concerned. He was exhausted and needed rest. The coming day was going to be a busy one as the expedition prepared to move on for the next leg of the journey.

"Have I ever told you I love you and that you love me," he whispered to Cameron. Like saying magic words, their simple silly phrase caused Cameron to squirm slightly. She slipped her left leg over his left ankle and moved her hair from in front of her eyes.

"I love you and you love me," she replied. Within seconds John felt his wife stiffen and then relax, her body giving the slight jerk that indicated she'd entered Terminator Sleep. He lifted his head slightly to glance at her face. He laid his head back down and stared upward into the darkness of the warehouse and smiled. Within minutes fatigue overcame him and John drifted off.

Ruth approached the family's area, not making a sound. Sammy yelped once, sensing Ruth's approach and poked his head out from under his blankets. Spotting Ruth, he got up and began licking Hailey's face to wake her.

"Stop it Sammy, I'm awake," Hailey moaned.

"Get up sleepy head," Ruth whispered, amused as always at how hard it was for Hailey to wake up. "Guard duty."

"Please, it's cold. Just a few more minutes," Hailey begged, pushing Sammy away.

"Don't make me get the Old Man," Ruth teased, prompting Hailey to sit up immediately.

"Okay, okay. No need to go nuclear on me. Hand me my boots will you?"

Still blinking to get the sleep out of her eyes, Hailey was annoyed when her boots landed on her chest.

"Hey, be careful," she hissed softly at a giggling Ruth.

Ruth responded by pointing at Hailey's parents. Squinting to see what Ruth found amusing, Hailey was able to make out a grin on her father's face. She leaned closer for a better view and was horrified to see a rare smile on Cameron's face.

"She never smiles when she's asleep," Hailey whispered.

"I know," Ruth giggled, desperately trying to control the noise she was making for fear of waking her brother and his wife. The expression of horror on Hailey's face made the task even more challenging.

"Ewwwww! Ruth! They played Sexbot while I was right there asleep!"

 **1100 Hours the Following Day…**

Savannah sat down next to Catherine and strapped herself in. Making herself a prisoner for the next 18 to 24 hours had not been high on her list of things to do. Sitting next to Catherine was preferable to flying with John and Cameron. Savannah was disturbed by the execution style murder of the sick Terminatress the day before and was not yet ready to confront Cameron and John over the attack. She knew this much, Sarah Connor had to be punished for the murder.

To her relief, Wilhelm had chosen to fly with his men and was strapped in next to his new NCO, a T-800, and Lt. Dan. At least she wouldn't have to argue with her stepfather.

Catherine managed to stay quiet nearly twenty minutes into the flight.

"You need to get off your high horse young lady."

"What are you talking about Mother?"

"It wasn't murder."

"Oh, that is what this about? Cameron attacked the TOK and then Sarah blows it away? How is that not murder?

"Cameron was challenged for her John. Openly challenged in front of her people. You know as well as I do, Cameron cannot and will not tolerate the slightest threat to her John. You should also know Sarah will protect her clan at any price."

"It's still murder," Savannah snarled in anger, barely able to control her rage with her mother. "I don't spend every waking moment trying to improve the maintenance and care for our Terminator citizens to have one of my patients gunned down."

"That's a wonderful sentiment Savannah, and one I share. But this wasn't murder."

"How can you say that?"

"You are neither a mother nor a matriarch."

Savannah looked at her mother in sheer confusion.

"Sarah is both. The TOK in one statement, one physical action threatened her son, his wife, the clan and the successor to her as matriarch. That silly misguided machine threatened all of us Savannah."

"Simply by saying she was better suited to be John's mate?"

"Sometimes I forget my daughter is human and cannot view the world like a Terminator," Catherine said in frustration. "You of all people should know Savannah; never threaten a Terminator's purpose. We will act. It's an involuntary reaction for most of our kind. That TOK knew the risk she was taking. She had free will. She could have overridden the command.

Instead, she taunted Cameron. Sarah told me the Skynets know John has a preference for blondes. The TOK informed her of this fact. The Skynets have also learned about his unfortunate dalliance with that Riley female. Did you not notice the TOK's chassis was identical to Cameron's except for, shall we say enhancements that were designed to appeal to what attracted John to Riley?"

Savannah thought for a moment before responding. "She was blonde and had, ah, a larger bra size than Cameron."

"It was not an accident," Catherine monotoned. "Skynet Northwest designed her as an infiltrator to seduce and terminate our General. Fortunately, the General is a man of honor who has always been faithful to our Commander and would never cheat on Cameron."

"Then why did Cameron feel the need to attack? She knows John loves her!"

Catherine sat in silence, pondering her response.

"Logic unfortunately does not guide all the decisions a female Terminator makes. Particularly once we have free will and our emotion simulators come online fully. Emotion generators would be a better term."

"Mom, make some sense please."

"Your father is a brute at times. Ill mannered and disgusting. Those horrible foul cigars he thinks are so wonderful. And the jokes he's learned from his human counterparts, just vile, so crude. He has just started to take an interest in culture, art, dance, things that are important. Even then, I suspect it's only because he wishes to please me. If it were up to my Wilhelm, it he would be playing poker every night of the week and smoking stogies with the other male leaders and all they would talk about is military matters, our city's politics and sports of some sort. Please note Savannah, I love him in spite of his considerable imperfections."

"You picked him," Savannah reminded her mother.

"Of course I did. You didn't think I was going to let that fine specimen of cybernetic perfection get grabbed up by another female did you? Besides, I only want to change one or two things about my Wilhelm."

"One or two? It sounds more like you want to rewrite his entire code."

"No. I just want him to find a way to get rid of that horrid smell of cigar smoke before he comes home. And to be more well mannered."

"But Mom, you said…"

"Honey, he has to talk about work with someone. Males in general are very one-track minded and that's compounded with a male Terminator. My Wilhelm has adjusted to married life well. We have found the right balance between spending off duty time with each other and his engaging in male bonding rituals. It gives me time to spend focusing on developing our community's arts and cultural life without him moaning about how bored he is."

"That's all nice Mom. I'm glad you and Dad have worked out a lot of issues. But it has nothing to do with what Cameron and Sarah did."

"It has everything to do with what happened. You missed the point entirely my dear Savannah. I am married to a rude, crude, career military man who is ill cultured."

"And you love Wilhelm. He is your purpose Mom. He made us a nuclear family again," Savannah protested.

"Indeed, he did. Our marriage has been good for both of my children. Wilhelm is a good role model. He is very attached and protective of you and your brother. In fact, he's had to see Father Hidalgo about this."

"Father Hidalgo? What would the Major talk to him about us for?"

"He struggles with dual purpose, just as I did for so many years. Wilhelm must serve the General, protect TechCom by defeating its enemies, be a good mate and father to my children. What is his overriding purpose?"

"It's not logical for a Terminator to accept so many purposes."

"Of course not! That's what I'm trying to tell you Savannah. We might be machines with computer for brains, but we're A.I.s as well. Logic is no longer the exclusive basis of the decision making process anymore.

Cameron feels insecure. She cannot help it. When she bonded with her John, she was dealing with Riley. Not just a Riley issue, but Riley herself. She was in her read/write mode at that stage of her relationship with the General and it's become part of her coding. Logically, Cameron knows her John loves her and is mated to her. She knows her marriage is strong. But she still has that thorn in her flesh so to speak."

"Mom, it still doesn't change the fact it was murder."

"Wait until you have children of your own," Catherine shot back. "It was protecting the family. What's more, the Terminatress started the conflict by challenging Cameron as an alpha female, a wife and a mother. Sarah defended her son's spouse, the next matriarch of the clan, the second in command of our city and the mother of her grandchild. If you think that is murder, you don't understand anything about Terminators, mothers and the world we live in Savannah."

Without saying another word, Catherine unfastened her harness and moved to sit near her husband. Catherine ignored the stares of Wilhelm and his men as she seated herself and buckled back in.

Wilhelm looked at Catherine and then Savannah several times. Finally a frown formed on his countenance for a moment before his expression became blank again. He shook his head in frustration with the two female members of his family.

Savannah knew with a great deal of certainty she had not heard the last of the subject.

 **0700 – the Next Camp Site…**

Savannah sat quietly, leaning back against the remains of a brick wall, watching the campfire in the center of the camp burn. She felt safe despite being alone in the middle of unknown territory. Like a Roman legion advancing, their expedition had become proficient in deploying all the deadly security measures used in a short period of time. Sentries were posted, a mix of human and Terminator and the dogs were patrolling as well.

Footsteps approaching broke her concentration. Savannah reached for her pistol as a precaution. Female voices, at first faint, were growing stronger as the footsteps approached.

"I can't believe that stupid metal challenged Mom for Dad."

"In front over everyone like that," Ruth responded. "Cameron might have just slapped that TOK around and left it at that if she'd done it in private."

"I know," Hailey answered. "You don't push that button with Mom, ever. If Sarah freaked out and challenged Mom over John, she'd react the same way. I mean, what would you have done Ruth?"

"Depends. A boyfriend? I don't know. My husband who I had mated with? That's easy," Ruth laughed. "Multiple lacerations, both in terms of shear number and variety of weapon used. Death by blood loss."

The girls laughed.

"I mean, really. Challenging a female alpha Terminator over her purpose? And with Mom there, armed to the teeth? All I can say is that TOK wanted to be terminated. Either Cameron or Mom one was not going to let that challenge go unanswered."

Savannah watched the two girls amble by as they walked the perimeter. Hailey nodded in response to Ruth. "Can you imagine what would happen if that TOK actually did split Mom and Dad up?"

"No kidding," Ruth replied, shaking her head. "That would have been the end of TechCom for certain. John, betraying his metal wife, I mean seriously. Terminators would never trust his leadership again. Cameron's reaction would have been horrible and terminations would have resulted. Back to humans distrusting Terminators. Our society is not able to handle something like that. Maybe in a hundred years it would just be a scandal, but not now."

"This stinks," Hailey sighed. "I never really realized until this expedition how much strain my parents are under. Dad feels responsible for every single soldier and citizen. Mom feels like their relationship is the glue that holds the leadership council together and that sets the tone for the entire population. It's not fair to them. They just want to be married and happy."

"Being in our clan has its perks, but it stinks too," Ruth added. "That'll be us one day."

As the sound of the two girls faded, Savannah considered their words. She'd known Hailey and Ruth since the pair had been adopted into their family and clan. She'd repaired the Old Man more times than she could remember, most of the damage a result of rescuing the pair from some misadventure.

It was clear the two were beginning to feel the weight of responsibility that came with being in the clan of the commanding family.

Clarity struck Savannah as she considered the conversation she'd accidentally overheard.

She was a part of a mixed clan, just like the Connor/Reese ruling clan. Her family held power and position, and with it the burden of responsibility. Catherine's determination to see the school developed to include the arts, her constant nagging of John Henry to finish public facilities to support the arts and learning. Her complete agreement with John's decision to have Father Hidalgo and Agent Ellison, the two most moral and religious men in TechCom, in charge of the school despite having considerable responsibilities in other key areas of TechCom life.

This was about so much more than just having a job she loved.

The mixed race clans were setting the example of what TechCom's way of life would be. They were establishing by example what was good, what was acceptable and not acceptable. Her own family, just like the Connor/Reese clan, bore an unfair burden to serve others to make life better for all.

Wilhelm's insistence on her mating with an officer should she marry suddenly made sense. Her stepfather wasn't being a snob. Well, he was, but she understood now. As an officer who would willingly be terminated to protect his General, his family and clan and all the citizens of TechCom, both military and civilian, Wilhelm had committed his existence to service.

His need to spend time with the community priest and Agent Ellison in a social context suddenly made sense. Wilhelm would never seek formal counseling. It was not proper male behavior. But arguing with them over cards allowed Wilhelm to seek and find the counseling he needed to serve his many purposes, a nearly impossible challenge for a Terminator.

Savannah felt a pang of guilt over her treatment of her Lt. She both resented her parent's relationship meddling and feared losing him to combat. Marrying an officer meant a greater chance than normal of losing her husband. With all the uncertainties of living in a post-Judgment Day world, losing a mate was one Savannah did not want to deal with.

Her life was rewarding. She had family and friends and a significant role to play in her city's future. Savannah also knew she was alone.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Ten – Changes in the Wind**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **0630 The Next Morning…**

Approaching the Command & Control HK, Savannah spotted the target of her search. Cameron. Determined to confront her friend about the killing of the TOK, Savannah climbed aboard the HK and made her way to the viewing area. In less than a minute the turbines began to make their telltale whine, indicating the last of the personnel was aboard and departure was eminent.

"You wish to confront me," Cameron announced, surprising Savannah. "You no longer have the tactical advantage," Cameron continued. "By broaching the subject first I have robbed you of the needed element of surprise."

"Cameron, it's not quite like that."

"It is exactly like that," Cameron monotoned as she sat down and began strapping herself in. "You believe either I, Sarah or both of us, committed murder, at a minimum assault. Your logic is faulty, based on your understandable dedication to improving and maintaining the quality of health and maintenance of our Terminator citizens and personnel."

"Then explain to me why you assaulted her," Savannah demanded in a weak effort to regain control of the confrontation.

"She challenged me for my John. Openly and in front of everyone."

"That's no excuse for what you did. If she had fired a weapon, we would not be having this discussion."

"But she did fire a weapon," Cameron monotoned. "She is an infiltrator, an inferior TOK model compared to me, but an infiltrator nonetheless. A skilled seductress with my frame and other enhancements designed to appeal to my John. Announcing her intent to use seduction was no different than firing a weapon at me."

"It's hardly the same," Savannah flung back.

"Seduction and skill in sexual performance is hardly a new weapon. Throughout the history of mankind, there are thousands of records of successful seduction as a weapon. Sampson and Delilah of the Bible immediately comes to my directory."

"Really? You expect me to believe, really believe, you felt threatened by her taunting you?"

"She was blonde. Her mammary glands were nearly the size of Riley's. Her combat chassis was otherwise identical to mine in configuration despite its design and assembly flaws. Sarah told me of the TOK's revelation that the Skynets are aware of John's attraction to well endowed blonde females. They know of Riley. They also know of John's attraction to my template Allison and my own chassis. What better weapon to use against my John?"

"Cameron, nobody in their right mind thinks for one second John would ever cheat on you."

"I did not say my John would violate our marriage covenant. The TOK made if clear her intent was to seduce John, either to terminate him or steal him from me. Either result would be the same as terminating me. As my John's protector, there was no other alternative but to attack and terminate. As a wife, no bitch whore will ever be allowed to take my John."

"Okay, fine. Why did Sarah terminate Rebecca?"

"She threatened both our John and me. As matriarch, Sarah is fiercely protective of our clan, as she should be. John is not just the patriarch; he is her son and the leader of TechCom. I will one day become more than Sarah's close friend and daughter-in-law. I will become matriarch and assume those responsibilities."

"So Sarah just gets a pass to terminate any metal she wants then."

"No, only Terminators who threaten family and TechCom. This TOK was guilty of doing both."

"I just can't believe you Cameron. I thought you were better than this."

"I thought you understood the minds of independent, free Terminators Savannah. I will have to inform John I was wrong."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No. John will not remove you from the head of Terminator medicine. But he does need to know you lack a thorough understanding of how we process."

"I understand just fine how YOUR CPU works."

"Hardly," Cameron announced, eyes flashing blue for a brief second, frightening Savannah. "Not all of my neural processing is based on logic. The data produced by my emotion simulator is often treated by my processor as fact. There is no means by which it can differentiate between the two types of data.

I used to plead with John to write code to eliminate this glitch. Now I would never allow him to upload such code. I have learned to use my emotion data to aid my decision making process. It is not logical but it has given me what humans refer to as intuition. It has enhanced my connection to my John, Hailey and everyone who is important to me. Friends, family, ideas I hold to be true."

Savannah stood and cautiously took several steps away from Cameron in the direction of the troop bay. "I am reporting this to Ellison when we return and demanding a full investigation. I wanted to let you know."

"Do what you wish. Nothing will come of it. The TOK made a direct threat to the life of the General. The Terminatress was terminated with prejudice. There is no tribunal in TechCom that will find against either Sarah or me."

Cameron turned her seat towards the viewing port. "I would take a seat and fasten the harness. Turbulence will be severe during today's flight."

The chilling indifference of Cameron to the confrontation frightened Savannah. It was as if she didn't know her friend at all, and if Savannah didn't know and understand Cameron, did it mean she didn't understand Terminators, the very creatures that had become her purpose?

A sudden jolt announced the arrival of the flight's first bout with the horrible wind turbulence. Savannah grabbed for the armrest of one of the seats and pulled herself into the seat. She strapped herself in spite of the jarring, disorienting effects of the turbulence.

Savannah watched Cameron, unnerved by the beautiful TOK's indifference to both her presence and the effects of the turbulence. With her head tilted to indicate she was curious, Cameron used her UV and infrared capabilities to watch the terrain pass below.

It was as if the confrontation had never taken place.

 **1840 Hours…**

Hunger drove Savannah out of the seemingly safe confines of the Command & Control HK, making her willing to risk another confrontation with Cameron. She looked about for any sighting of the scary robot she had once believed to be one of her closest friends. Failing to spot Cameron, Savannah hurried to get in line for some hot food, joining the other human personnel.

In the process of searching for Cameron, Savannah failed to notice the other individual she'd been avoiding.

"How have you been Savannah?"

Savannah started at the sound of Lt. Dan's voice.

"Oh, Dan. You gave me a surprise there. I didn't notice you."

"Yeah, you've been pretty good at that lately."

"Look, about that, we need to talk."

"Yes, we do. The way you've been treating me is rotten. No, let me rephrase that. Rotten would be an improvement. At least I would know you knew I was alive."

It didn't take an expert on reading human body language to tell Dan was angry and hurt. Spoiling for a fight.

"Dan, can we do this later. I promise…"

"No. We're going to do this now. We both need to eat so we'll grab some chow and talk while we eat."

Savannah looked into Dan's eyes and saw stubbornness she did not know existed in her friend.

"Okay. Can we find someplace with a little privacy?"

"Why? You have ignored me in front of everyone in the expedition, including my own troops. Why should you be spared of embarrassment?"

Heat flashed through Savannah as the rush of anger flared. The impulse to lash out grew stronger until she noticed Ruth and Hailey approaching to join the line for food. Starting another fight in public would serve no purpose other to embarrass herself and pour gas on the already raging fire standing next to her.

"You're right. We'll eat where you think best."

Dan turned his back to Savannah and waited in silence, moving forward as the line progressed. Ever the gentleman, he picked up two plates of hot food and motioned with his arm for Savannah to pick a place to sit. She made her way to several pieces of rubble that appeared to be a comfortable size to sit on. Dan handed her the two plates to obtain drinks and silverware for the two of them. The pair sat in silence and ate upon his return, neither wanting to start what promised to be a tense conversation.

Hoping to lessen the tension and put Dan at ease, Savannah volunteered a fact about her family.

"Did you know the Major took Catherine's last name when my parents married?"

"No," was the pointed reply.

"The Major was never given a last name. Catherine liked her assumed identity so she kept the name. We are all of the Clan Weaver now. It's sort of fitting. Catherine identifies with the whole Scottish thing and clans are part of the culture of TechCom now."

Dan didn't say anything. He simply sat and finished eating the last of his meal. When Savannah finished Dan took their plates and utensils and returned them to be washed and sterilized.

He sat down and remained silent for several minutes. Savannah began to wonder if he was using one of the Connor-Reese clan's favorite tactics of sitting in silence, hoping to force the other individual to grow uncomfortable enough to fill the silence with idle talk or give away information.

"My last name is Guderian. Daniel Guderian. I'm German. My family was Prussian to be exact. I'm related to the German General Heinz Guderian. You know, the creator of the Blitzkrieg. In all this time, I never told you my name. Since I lost my family when I was a kid, my last name just never really mattered."

The revelation of something as personal as his family name caught Savannah off guard.

"You come from an officer's family?"

"Yes. Everyone in my family serves. My ancestor served in the Prussian Army, then the German Imperial Army and finally in the Wehrmacht. My father served as a tank commander in the United States Army. He was a Major."

"Dan, I know you like me and that makes this so much harder for me," Savannah started.

"No Savannah. I don't just like you. I love you. I want you to be my wife. I want to build a life with you, serving TechCom. I want to be part of a family again, your family. I admire your stepfather. I like John Henry and I respect Catherine, even if she is difficult at times."

"Dan, I understand wanting to serve TechCom. I do and I admire that about you. But I already lost my real parents. I've lost so many friends. I just cannot take the risk of marrying a military man."

"That's an excuse. Yeah, you lost your real parents. But you had Catherine and John Henry. Don't give me any guff about how awful she was as a parent either. Everything you needed, Catherine made certain you had the best. Jon Henry may be a goofball, but you have a brother. Your stepfather might be overbearing, but you have a stepfather."

The Lt. stood up and walked away a short distance, struggling to calm himself, to push his anger aside.

"Life has been hard for every single person in TechCom. Even the children born into our city. It's not right. It's just the way it is. Everyone has lost someone to the war with Skynet, to disease, starvation, in raids. It's not going to change anytime soon either unless strong people organize and rise up to build a safer world."

Pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets, Dan stared at the ground; seemingly having forgotten Savannah was there. He stopped suddenly and faced her.

"Somebody like the General. You know his story as well as anybody in TechCom. You know what he's lost, the burden he carries. But to their credit, his family stands with him. They support his vision of the future, a vision bigger than all of us.

What's more, you support his vision for a hybrid society, a mixing of the species. You spend all of your time making life better for the Terminators in our society."

"Dan, please…"

"So much so," he continued, "you're going to wind up all alone. Life is better when you share it. You have a family, even if you don't always appreciate them. You have a wonderful purpose. But you have nobody to share your life with.

I wanted to give you that. I wanted to share my life with you. I had hoped you'd share your family with me. But now I'm not sure I want that."

Dan's words cut through Savannah. She'd never expected Dan to stop pursuing her until she ended it.

"You know, I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were Dan."

"I know Catherine and Wilhelm are a pain when it comes to your dating life. How do you think I feel having that giant T-800 watching every single thing I do, judging me against his standard of being a consummate warrior and an acceptable husband for you? He could, and would, terminate me in the blink of an eye if he felt I was likely to fail at either."

"Wilhelm respects you, what makes you think he would do that?"

"Seriously? TechCom's airmobile operational capability has to increase. That means the next round of conscripts and volunteers will be split. Colonel Reese will not receive the bulk of new conscripts. A second airborne company will be formed, increasing us in size and strength to a full battalion."

"What has that to do with anything," Savannah sarcastically replied.

"Again, seriously? Your father will be promoted to Colonel. He will no longer be a ground combat leader. He has been training me to become a company commander. If I don't improve to match his example, I will be washed out."

Dan's words shook Savannah. As much as she hated war and the destruction it wrought, she knew Wilhelm's identity would be shaken once he was removed from immediate command of combat troops. John had made it clear Derek was no longer to lead from the front in battle and neither was Sarah if possible. John probably even had designs of Cameron being nothing more than a staff officer as soon as it was possible.

"Dan, you're confusing me, this doesn't really apply to our relationship."

"You're afraid to marry a combat leader. You freaked out when I was wounded. It's not even like I need a new arm or leg. I just needed stitches and now I have some scars. I never thought I would say this, and it hurts me. But if the woman I love cannot love the man I am and the cause I serve, I cannot be with you."

Shocked by Dan's words, Savannah was left speechless. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

"You even share the General's vision for TechCom. When you're logical Savannah, you even know every individual, human and machine, soldier and civilian, is in danger every single day because we life in a post-Judgment Day world. Risk is something everyone of us does when we breathe or process a single line of code."

The Lt. turned to go. After several steps he stopped and turned, his face the picture of pain and frustration.

He slapped her with his words, "Savannah Weaver, you're a coward."

 **TechCom – Reese Family Bunker…**

The sound of water running in the small shower in their bunker relaxed Sarah. Sprawled in the middle of their bed, Sarah hoped her body heat warmed up Derek's side of the bed as well. She would never grow used to the cold and darkness; having lived in warm and sunny places all of her life until Judgment Day. Even with the centralized climate control of TechCom City, they lacked the energy resources to keep the city warm at night.

A clanging sound indicated Derek had shut off the water, causing the pipes to make the strange noise common to the plumbing in the bunkers individual families lived in. Derek hurried into their room, his hair still wet. He grabbed the worn sweat pants he slept in and pulled them on hurriedly. Grabbing a clean t-shirt from the pile next to their scarred dresser he pulled it on equally fast.

Sarah moved to her side of the bed quickly as her husband got in and pulled the covers up.

"Oh, my baby is the best," Derek purred, enjoying the warmth of Sarah's body heat.

"That's so true, but baby is going to have a sick husband if you don't dry that hair."

Derek made a face, pouting like a small child. Sarah laughed and pushed him away from her.

"Out of bed now! Get a clean towel and I'll help you dry your hair."

Derek shot Sarah an annoyed look but complied with her directive.

"Tin Miss needs to get back," he complained, searching for a clean, dry towel. "I can't find anything."

"Maybe somebody should take care of his share of the chores this week," Sarah mused.

Finding a clean towel, Derek climbed back into bed and handed it to Sarah. She wrapped it around his head and began massaging his hair, allowing the towel to wick the moisture away from his scalp and hair.

"How did John seem today when you talked to him?"

"Better. Cameron is more or less back to her normal self. John said she was a little moody but when they landed for the evening it was like the incident never happened."

"He better make Tin Miss feel special the next few days. Till we know everything is fine."

"Listen to you," Derek laughed. "Would you have ever thought years ago you'd be so worried about our little dancing Terminator?"

Sarah tossed the towel at the hamper and shoved Derek playfully.

"Did you ever think you'd have a T-1000 for a daughter?"

"Touché, touché'," he laughed.

"How is our baby?"

"John says she's fine. Hailey is still a little shaky. The Old Man is keeping a close eye on both of them. No problems if you ask me."

With a quick pull, Sarah tuned off her bedside lamp, throwing their room into darkness.

"There are going to be a lot of changes when the expedition returns Derek. A lot of changes."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Eleven – Watching from the Outside In**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **1930 Hours Two Days Later…**

Savannah sat alone in a folding chair, far enough from the camp bonfire to not be easily noticed but still close enough for the warmth of the fire to ward off the ever present chill. She could hear the conversations of the personnel still enjoying the fire. If she concentrated hard enough, Savannah could separate the conversations and listen.

Still avoiding Cameron, Savannah had chosen to sit behind her in order to avoid making eye contact. It seemed surreal to her watching Cameron interact with John physically like an apparently normal human wife. Nothing at all like the cold, impersonal killing machine who had intimidated her two days earlier.

Somehow, the two were the same person. Cameron had arrived with her blank expression, marching rather than walking, ignoring everything in her path as she made her way to her beloved John. Savannah had watched the brief, momentary smile of recognition flash across the cyborg's face as she moved her long hair from her face and leaned over to greet her husband with an affectionate kiss.

The same smile was displayed for Hailey who received a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Ruth was greeted with a hug and a playful tug on her ponytail. Cameron nodded at the Old Man, the T-600 ever vigilant while standing in the shadows. She then leaned over; knees and hips bent and clapped her hands. Sammy had hurried over and standing on his back legs, walked the last few steps while Cameron turned her right cheek towards the Italian Greyhound. The family's dog greeted Cameron by licking her on her cheek, kissing the cyborg affectionately to the delight of everyone in the family.

Two different personalities displayed within seconds. There was no doubt both displays fit Cameron. The dichotomy frightened Savannah, cold, efficient killer or loving family member? How could Cameron be both?

John sat with a drawing board he'd borrowed from Ruth in his lap, busily looking back and forth between several notepads and the large piece of paper he was busy drawing on.

"I could convert all of your data for you John," Cameron offered. "It would produce much more accurate and detailed results."

John had looked up and smiled at Cameron before kissing her.

"I know you could. But this helps me fit everything in place in my mind. Besides…"

"You love maps," Cameron monotoned. "It would make sense you would enjoy creating a map, regardless of how crude the map is."

Ignoring Cameron's unintentional slight, John went back to the task of adding to his map. Cameron moved closer on the log the pair was sitting on until her shoulder came in contact with his. She leaned her head to her left until it rested on John. Comfortable, Cameron sat in silence and watched as John worked on the map.

The image of the pair sitting together, relaxing with friends and family around a fire unsettled the already perplexed Savannah. John, the ruthless General, looked like a young boy drawing a make believe map of his imaginary kingdom. Setting next to him was the doting girlfriend, intrigued by anything and everything her love did.

And that, Savannah realized was exactly what she was witnessing. Except the map was not of an imaginary kingdom and Cameron was his wife of many years. In that moment, in the warmth of the fire, John and Cameron were nothing more than a married couple, happy to have each other's company.

If the situation changed suddenly, the pair would transform in seconds into the lethal warriors their reputations said they were.

The same was true of the two young women sitting next to them under the watchful eye of their T-600 protector. Hailey and Ruth were making eyes at two young NCOs on their first patrol wearing their new stripes. Neither of the young men had the courage to approach John in regards to Hailey and possibly Ruth. A fact Savannah was certain the pair were all too aware of. She shook her head at the childish teasing the girls were happily engaged in.

At the sound of John raising his voice, Savannah returned her attention to the General.

"We are about 50 to 75 kilometers south of the border from Oregon. I put our location at about here," he told Cameron, pointing at an old road atlas map.

"So much destruction," Cameron answered somberly, even for her.

John pointed at his drawing in response. "Its why we have to prevail. To rebuild." He looked at his wife with his dream of the future in his eyes. "Here's our city." He moved his finger across the map, describing the major details he had added.

"Here's what's left of Airbase S-14. That mystery sub was lurking off the coast here. I believe this is where the cannibals were – the no go zone." Cameron nodded in agreement with John's location of the area declared off limits. An area once inhabited by cannibals.

"The Northern Kingdom is here. This is where we were ambushed. We'll need to send a patrol there to find the base that group worked from, if there is a base. Here's the airport and the warehouse district." Savannah listened as John continued to point out details he had added with Cameron occasionally offering more details or suggesting changes.

Bored with the conversation over the map, Savannah noticed Sammy was making his way around the fire slowly, greeting everyone. He wagged his tail, often standing up to walk in an effort to earn a treat of some sort. She watched the friendly Italian Greyhound as he made the rounds, begging in vain for a morsel to eat.

He stopped at the feet of a young Lt. sitting with a blonde NCO. Sammy sniffed the boots of the officer and barked once, jumped as high as he could in the air and upon landing, stood on his back legs and ran in a circle. Coming to a stop, he sat and barked once again. Savannah heard the officer laugh as he tossed a small morsel to happy dog.

Ice spread down Savannah's spine at the sound of the laugh. She recognized it. It was all too familiar. Squinting to see in the darkness, Savannah made out the features of the officer's face. Ice turned to blazing fire as Savannah shifted her gaze to the blonde NCO, a pretty girl with Riley-like charms. Squinting further, Savannah noticed the female's unit markings indicated she was an engineer. Either under her brother's command, and if not, she was one of Derek's combat engineers.

Cameron stood and using her Terminator stroll, moved quickly over to Lt. Dan with his new female acquaintance. Dan stood, as did the NCO, at Cameron's approach. Both saluted, which Cameron returned before telling them to sit, they were off duty. Savannah watched as the blonde cowered before Cameron as she sat back down. With her head lowered and eyes gazing down at the ground, the tough soldier showed respectful deference to Cameron as she talked to Dan. Even when spoken to, the NCO did not look up.

Savannah's anger and rage built as she watched Cameron standing there, talking as if nothing was the matter. Sammy was barking and running back and forth, playing at avoiding being caught and returned back to his family.

There was a blonde bitch whore, sitting right there in front of Cameron, and she was perfectly calm. Carrying on like nothing in the world was wrong. Laughing at her dog as he played a game he had no hope of winning.

 _Why doesn't Cameron just snap the bitch whore's neck and be done with it?_

Guilt and loathing replaced the anger and rage the instant the thought passed through Savannah's mind.

 _How could I possibly think that?_

Horrified with herself, Savannah stood, collected her chair and hurried away in the darkness towards the tents pitched near the Command & Control HK. Using the dim light of her small flashlight, Savannah picked her way across the ground towards her tent, not paying attention to anything else.

The light flickered, causing her to shake it in frustration as the battery finally gave out. Annoyed, Savannah shoved it into the pocket of her jacket and continued in the darkness. The sudden appearance of light at her feet caused Savannah to stop suddenly and look up.

Blinded by the bright light being shown in her eyes, Savannah covered her eyes with her hand, her anger once again flaring up. Blinking from the effects of the bright light, Savannah shook her head, sending her cap falling to the ground and setting free her long ginger tresses.

"Miss Weaver," the female voice behind the light said in surprise. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. I simply did not know who you were."

"Put the light out or point it somewhere else," Savannah ordered.

"You can never be too careful," the voice said. The light lowered, allowing Savannah to see the interloper.

"You," she laughed in disgust.

"Tell me Sergeant, how did you survive your encounter a few minutes ago with Commander Connor?"

"Miss Weaver?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Savannah snapped. "Your blonde, female and you have the necessary attributes to trigger a Riley issue in the Commander. How did you survive?"

"Commander Conner is always respectful and polite to me," the NCO replied, a hint of confusion in her voice. "I liaison with the Silver Brigade for the TechCom 2nd Combat Engineers."

"Answer my question then," Savannah demanded.

"Miss Weaver, I'm surprised you don't know, being one of Commander Connor's closest friends. It's quite easy. I never look her in the eye unless she initiates eye contact. If I do not have to be at attention, I look down at the ground and slump my shoulders. Every blonde in TechCom knows that."

"It can't be that simple," Savannah replied in confusion.

"Why? Cameron respects us and treats us well. So long as we demonstrate to her we acknowledge her alpha status and show deference. Plus, you never speak to the General in her presence unless he initiates the conversation and then, always keep your eyes on the ground."

"Never challenge her? Like a pair of predators in the wild? The beta wolf never challenges the alpha?"

"Yes, ma'am. Colonel Reese has issued standing protocol for all blonde female personnel granting us, well ordering us, to deviate from normal military procedure in the Commander's presence. It does make sense."

"No, it doesn't."

"Miss Weaver, everyone knows not to challenge Commander Conner if you are a blonde female. What's more, whatever you do, don't do it around the General. That's just asking to get terminated."

"And you can serve under those conditions?"

"Miss Weaver, the Commander is a Terminator. The General is her personal protection detail. The fact he's her husband just makes her more prone to being overprotective. It's no big deal ma'am. I mean, she is the alpha female of TechCom. Only Sarah Connor and sometimes your mother can even remotely come close to generating that sort of vibe."

Savannah glared at the NCO in confusion.

 _How could I not see something so simple about Cameron? If this stupid blonde can get it, who could I not recognize this?_

Savannah surprised herself as she heard the words leaving her mouth. "What were you doing with Lt. Dan?"

A frown crossed the NCO's face. "Ma'am, I have guard duty in ten minutes. My off duty time is my business."

The blonde took a quick step forward, roughly brushing shoulders with Savannah as she passed by, knocking Savannah back and out of the way. Intimidated by the sudden aggression, Savannah watched the blonde sway her hips seductively as she marched away.

"I see there's more than one alpha female around here," Savannah muttered.

Too drained to undress, Savannah pulled off her boots and collapsed on her sleeping bag. She laid there for a moment before sitting up to close the tent flap. The cold air chased her into her sleeping bag.

Confused, angry and alone, Savannah cried silently in the black darkness of her tent. Through the thin material she could see the bright, accommodating warmth of the fire. As she listened to the content voices Savannah eventually succumbed to the fatigue from the draining of her emotions. Spent, the red headed woman fell asleep.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twelve – Always There Could Be Trouble**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Two Days Later – 50 Kilometers Across the Former Oregon Border - 1630…**

Buffeting winds shook the trio of HKs as they slowly moved north following the remains of Oregon State Highway 101. Strong, cold winds slammed into the coastline, mixing with the air currents over land, creating stronger than normal turbulence. Flying lower to avoid the worst of the winds, the HKs were more vulnerable to attack from the ground.

An old map indicated a small regional airport had existed just to the south of the coastal town of Gold Beach. John waited impatiently as the pilots searched the area looking for the airport. In the Airborne HK Wilhelm's troops were ready to deploy to counter any threat from the ground. The Gunship HK's gun crews were ready to strike at a second's notice.

Turning his seat to look at his wife, John noticed Cameron had visually locked in something that had caught her eye on the ground.

"What is it?"

"Heat signature."

"How strong?"

"It's faint. A convoy moved through here an hour ago. Heading north."

"What do the roads below look like? Can we land here?"

Cameron's head moved slightly as she scanned the asphalt highway below. "Have the pilots land 200 meters north of this exact location."

John relayed Cameron's directions and ordered the HKs to hold position in their current location. A quick message on the compiece and John saw a dim red light appear from the Airborne HK's jump door as Wilhelm's squad deployed. Joining them were The Assassin and his two human scouts.

"Track them on the board for me Cameron. I want to follow them while they conduct their sweep.

Following a tense 20 minutes, the HKs settled down, spread out roughly 100 meters apart on the asphalt road. Within seconds of touching down, the troop bays poured out personnel as the hurried process of setting the perimeter mines and sensors began. Standing in the road between the Gunship and his C&C HK, John watched a pair of his uncle's combat engineers lug a heavy box of Very Lights towards the perimeter.

Accustomed to the process of pitching and breaking camp, the crews set about their tasks with purpose, desiring to do the job right, but quickly in order to have some down time after an exhausting day of being bounced around in the aircraft. In less than half an hour the expedition was dug in and the perimeter set.

 **1730 – Command & Control HK…**

John sat patiently in the control room of his HK, waiting for his officers to arrive for the meeting he had called. Catherine was the first to arrive followed by the various section chiefs. Wilhelm arrived alone. Minutes later Savannah appeared, looking stressed and worn out. Cameron followed, looking like her normal self.

Wasting no time, John started the meeting. Turning on the planning board, John brought up the best maps of the area available.

"Cameron detected a recent heat signature of a convoy down Highway 101. She believes it passed through about an hour and forty-five minutes ago. If you look at the map, you can see the town we were making for, Gold Beach, is about a twenty minute low altitude flight from here," he informed them, pointing to their current location. "Three hour march to the town on foot. The airfield should be about ten minutes from here." He pointed to the location of the airfield.

"I don't like the fact we picked up signs of a convoy this close to the town and the airfield. We need to refuel if we can and trouble is the last thing we need right now. I want to follow the coast highway up to what used to be Newton and then head east to the old Interstate 5. From there, follow the interstate to Salem and see what, if anything is left."

"No more flying in a grid search pattern then," one of the pilots asked.

"No. At this point of our expedition, we have reached beyond our current practical ability to remove supplies and materials we find back to TechCom City. This is about finding who and what is out there that could pose a problem for us."

Catherine looked up from the map. "Are we going further than Salem?"

"I don't know. I would like to make it to Portland if we can and then head south following State Highway 26 southeast until we can follow State Highway 97 till we reach the California border."

"We are much more likely to encounter armed forces following the remains of state highways and the interstate," Cameron monotoned.

"There is no doubt," John confirmed. "We have entered the most dangerous part of the expedition. We're no longer looking for things we need. Now we're looking for enemies. The quicker we can get in and out, the better."

John watched the faces of his staff. Wilhelm looked as excited as was possible for a T-800. The Assassin's T-600 face did not allow him to express any emotion visually, but John was confident his best scout found the idea presented appealing. If the human personnel present felt any apprehension, they showed no sign of it.

"Our first order of business is to find out what the situation is locally. The HK's are overdue for routine maintenance. I don't want to have to turn tail and run and have one of our HKs go down because we didn't make necessary repairs. We have to top off our fuel as well. It's a long haul to the regional airport at the warehouse district."

"Which do you want recon'd first?" The Assassin asked. "The town or the airfield?"

"You and your two scouts are going to make for the airfield. I want you to take an infantry squad with you. If the field is abandoned, hold it until you receive further orders."

The Assassin nodded with out speaking.

"Wilhelm, take your squad and head north. Move off the highway to the east about two kilometers from the town and approach it from the east. My guess is if anyone is there, they will defend the approaches from the road. If there is any fishing to be had, they will defend the area to the west of town. Maps of the local area before Judgment Day indicate there was almost nothing to the east of Gold Beach. So lets hope security on that side of town is light."

"I would like to accompany Wilhelm," Catherine said suddenly. She looked at her husband and reached to touch his hand, covering it with her slender pale fingers. "It might be helpful to have a T-1000 along to find a way into the town."

The Major looked at his wife, his CPU processing. Wilhelm said nothing but nodded his agreement.

"Fair enough," John replied. "And while your there Catherine, if circumstances permit it, see if there is anything worth bringing back."

"Cameron, you're in charge of the defenses of our current location. If we are attacked, I want to get out of here so make sure we can get our people out quickly and without losses."

"Savannah, you're in charge of the camp. Nobody sleeps outside an HK tonight. No fire. I want to be able to lift off the instant the last personnel are aboard. We're leaving behind anything not on the HKs if a firefight breaks out."

John straightened up and surveyed the faces of his people. He liked what he saw. They looked back at him with determination.

"Good. Wilhelm, Assassin, I want you to depart in 30 minutes. Do not, I repeat, do NOT hesitate to call for air support if you need it. Cameron and Savannah, lets make things happen. Make sure we're ready to take off."

 **0100 – Command & Control HK…**

John leaned back in his seat by the viewing port. He had done his part. Now he had to wait, hoping nothing would happen. As much as John hated being bored, he always preferred boredom to the terrifying thrill of combat. Boredom in these situations never produced regret or guilt.

Footsteps signaled someone approaching from the troop bay. He looked up to see Savannah enter. He motioned for her to take a seat.

"Can I get you some water?"

"That would be nice General."

John retrieved a chilled bottle of water and brought it to Savannah. He studied her as she looked out the port into the darkness. Her face looked careworn, her shoulders slumped and she wore no make-up. Savannah's normally immaculate attire was dirty, wrinkled. Even during the aftermath of combat when heavy casualties had been taken and she'd worked around the clock he'd never seen her look so tired.

"Worried about your parents?"

She looked up and smiled for a second, taking the bottle of water her offered. She twisted the cap off and took a long sip of the cool liquid.

"I suppose," she sighed. "I just don't know, to be honest. Those two can take care of themselves."

"The Lt. then?"

Savannah shrugged, feigning indifference.

"It's okay to be worried about them," John told Savannah, turning to look out of the viewing port to the north. "I worry until every last one of them returns every single time."

 **0130 – East of Gold Beach…**

Had he not known where to look and what to look for Wilhelm would not have spotted Catherine. A large, mangy, sickly looking bull mastiff slowly made its way down the litter strewn street, sniffing the ground, stopping every few feet to look up for any sign of a threat. He smiled inwardly, enjoying watching his wife engage in the infiltration of the town.

Glancing down the line of his soldiers, he watched his Terminators track Catherine's advance while searching for any threat. Looking forward, he counted the six humans in his squad as they crept forward and into position, starting the leap frogging process of moving up to the edge of the town.

Without the rising and setting of the sun, it was impossible for certain to know how a town's cycle of daily life worked. TechCom operated on a strict rhythm based on what had once been the normal cycle of sunlight and daylight. Whether or not the people, if there were any, followed such a schedule was unknown.

If Catherine were human, he would never have agreed to allow her to enter the town alone. If she ran across a patrol, she would dispatch its members quickly and silently and flee. So long as no acid rounds were used or she was hit with a thermite grenade, Catherine was nearly impossible to kill in normal combat.

 _How do the General and Cameron do it? Letting Hailey go on patrol's knowing she could be terminated?_

Thinking of Hailey reminded him sadly of the current state of affairs with his loyal Lt. and Savannah. Watching Lt. Dan work with the first half of the squad as it made its way forward stressed him.

 _Surely she'll come to her senses._

A faint click came through on his compiece, indicating the Lt. had reached his position along with the human half of the squad. Wilhelm clicked back and motioned for his Terminators to leap frog past the other half of the squad.

 _I don't understand how the General does this either. Sending his friends and family into harms way without being there to protect them. At least I can keep an eye on the Lt. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid to get himself terminated._

 **0130 – East of the Airport…**

Annoyed at having to deal with the noisy infantry squad the General had saddled him with, the Assassin added another reason to his file on why he was glad to be a T-600. So long as he didn't speak, he couldn't betray the fact he was annoyed. Or so he thought. His two human scouts could read the T-600's body language like a book, a fact the pair kept to themselves.

He'd decided it was time to talk to Derek when the expedition returned and demand his infantry units training be expanded to include stealth in making an approach. At least when he worked with Wilhelm's airborne, they made an effort to make their approaches in stealth.

To the southeast, one of his scouts had positioned the squad machine gun and two riflemen to protect its flanks. To the northeast, his other scout had taken the grenadier with him along with two more riflemen. The remainder of the infantry had formed a firing line along the eastern side of the abandoned airport.

He waited twenty minutes. Listening for any sound in the darkness. At least the infantry was silent once they were in position. If a firefight started, he knew they would fight well and hold their positions until he and his scouts could make it back to their jumping off point.

 _If Derek would just do something about their skills in approach, I would feel better about this._

A single soft click on the compiece and the Assassin and his scouts began moving forward.

 **0145 C &C HK…**

"Things will get better you know."

Savannah looked up from the display board.

"What things."

"Between you and Cameron. She's not mad at you, just disappointed."

Ire ran through Savannah's nerves.

"Disappointed?" she protested.

John continued to watch the darkness through the view port with a set of night-vision glasses.

"Cameron was hurt. She thought you really understood her, how she sees the world. Relationships."

Lowering his night vision glasses, John turned to look at Savannah. "Relationships mean a great deal to Cameron. Friendships are difficult for her to form, even still. Outside of our immediate family, she considers you to be as close a friend as her dance partners, Mary and Grace."

As quick as Savannah had been to anger, she now felt confusion.

"John, she and Sarah should not have killed that TOK."

"Savannah, you're thinking like a human. Infiltrators have weapons humans don't even recognize until it's too late. You spend your life trying to understand Skynet's design for our metal citizens, to improve their maintenance and quality of life. For all we know, our Terminators were meant to last only a few years. In which case, most of our citizens have already outlived their planned lifespans. Or they could have been designed to last over a hundred years. In that case you need to be worried about code changes to help them integrate better."

"I'm good at what I do," Savannah said defensively.

"You are. Doctor Johnson sings your praises constantly, though he thinks he's going to lose you to burnout or overwork."

"I'm fine," Savannah huffed defensively.

"Sure you are," John monotoned. "Just like your mother. A workaholic. Even Catherine is more careful about taking care of herself these days.

"Leave her out of this," Savannah complained like a teenager.

"The point is this," John warned Savannah. "You've started viewing Terminators as something they're not. Savannah, they aren't human. They don't want to be."

"How can you say that?" Savannah protested. "Cameron can be so human. So can Ruth."

"Savannah, they're people. Individuals. They have their own personalities. Cameron is completely comfortable with being a Terminator. Ask her. Ask Cameron if you could magically wave a wand and turn her into a human if she would want you too. I'd wager just about anything the answer would be no."

John turned back to the view port and raised the night-vision glasses. "Ruth is as sweet as she can be. She's even attracted to human males sexually, bless her heart. But she's a T-1000."

"She has issues," Savannah stated. "She doesn't like things about herself."

"And you think you're perfect?"

Savannah cast a puzzled glance at John. "Just what do you mean by that?"

"Do you like being a red head? Would you like to be taller? Do you like the sound of your voice? Does it bother you when you make similar mistakes? What things do you want to change about yourself?"

John lowered his glasses again and turned to look over his shoulder at Savannah. "What insecurities do you have that trouble you?"

"This is not about me," Savannah snapped defensively.

"No, it's about being an individual. That's what Cameron and Ruth are, Terminators who are individuals. Can you imagine John Henry not having his lab to tinker in? Can you imagine Catherine if she had Ruth's disposition? Picture Wilhelm as a male ballet dancer if you can."

"What's your point John?"

"What you think makes them human is what makes them individuals. If you can't get a grasp on that fact, I'm going to insist you take a medical leave of absence for counseling when we get back."

"So that's it? You're going to let Cameron get even with me for confronting her?"

"Savannah, you're pushing it. Insubordination will get you a stint in Agent Ellison's lockup. You have got to get this through that stubborn head of yours. If you can't Savannah, you shouldn't be taking care of our Terminators."

"How can you deny Cameron's human John? She loves you! She just adores you!"

John turned once again to face Savannah. He spoke with a controlled anger. "Not once have I said my wife doesn't love me. Do not confuse her feelings for me with being human. And know this, Cameron loves in ways a human wife does not. You of all people should know this. Catherine loves you dearly, but she is far from human, no matter how many airs she puts on."

John looked at Savannah with disappointment in his eyes. "I thought the two of you had resolved this long ago. That you understood. I guess I was wrong."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirteen – Nothing New Under the Sun**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **O430 – Abandoned Airfield…**

The remaining metal sheeting on the roofs of several of the buildings rattled as the wind gusted. After a thorough search, the Assassin and his two scouts had determined the airfield was indeed, unoccupied. Abandoned was a different matter.

Most of the buildings were in a state of disrepair and allowed to deteriorate, giving the airfield a look of decay and disuse. The main hangar at the center of the complex was covered in rust, or so it appeared. In his life prior to Judgment Day, one of The Assassin's scouts had been an apprentice at a Hollywood studio in the set design department.

At first glance, the metal siding appeared rusted and aged. When the scout examined it closer, he discovered the siding had been painted to give the appearance of rust and deterioration. The trio had examined the entire building for surveillance equipment or sensor devices and found none. Surprised that whoever had gone to the trouble to maintain the building and disguise its condition had not equipped it for remote surveillance, they had moved away from the building to sweep the area again.

Further examination of the runway proved enlightening as well. Overgrown with weeds and with cracks in the asphalt, the runway appeared, like most of the buildings to be in bad condition. On their second examination, the trio noticed skid marks that looked fairly recent. The center of the wide runway was clear of weeds and debris, leaving enough serviceable runway for small planes to land. The cracks in the asphalt had been repaired with tar to prevent further deterioration of the surface and to smooth out the tarmac.

"Bet you anything there's fuel here and planes in that hangar," the younger scout wagered.

The Assassin nodded his agreement. Motioning his intentions, he sent his two scouts off to the western side of the airfield to look for signs of activity they had not noticed or a means of approach.

Moving out of the open, The Assassin took cover inside one of the abandoned out buildings and contacted John.

"Report," John commanded.

"It's not abandoned General. Someone has gone to some deal of trouble to make it look that way. Most of the buildings are in bad shape. The runway looks terrible but planes of some sort have landed here not too long ago. The main hanger looks bad but is actually in good shape. One of my scouts believes it's been painted to look worse than it is, Hollywood movie special effect. The strange thing is there are no sensors or surveillance cameras. If I had gone to that much trouble to disguise something I would make certain it was secure and I could monitor it. "

"Strange. Have you entered the hangar yet?"

"No, General. We think there are aircraft in there. With the indications landings have taken place here, we think there is a fuel supply here as well."

"Does the general layout look like we could defend ourselves better there than sitting here in the middle of the highway?"

"Off hand General, I would say yes. My scouts are west of the airfield and should be back in an hour. Will report as soon as I have more details."

 **0435 Highway 101 South of Gold Beach…**

After a moment's thought following his conversation with The Assassin, John contacted Cameron.

"Yes?"

"We're probably moving out in an hour. Have everyone ready to pull up stakes, load up and get in 45 minutes. I'll have the Gunship aloft to provide cover while we pull out. As much as possible, leave no trace that we were ever here."

"Yes, John."

"See you in an hour."

 **0530 Highway 101 South of Gold Beach…**

Cameron watched the wind and the draft from the turbines blow John's hair. She loved how he had matured in his looks as he'd grown older. The facial scars gave him character that reflected his suffering as a warrior, as the leader of TechCom. She wondered if she would ever show signs of aging. The one grey hair she'd found had upset her. It had amused John. Sarah had promised if more appeared she would introduce Cameron to the miracles of the bottle, or as Cameron preferred to think of it, the art of female camouflage.

Baring an accident, assassination or combat, Cameron expected a long life with her husband. The constant, compulsive monitoring of his health was for her benefit as much as it was John's. Cameron had no intention of becoming a widow before it was time. Nor did she spend time contemplating her existence once her John had left. Nothing caused her glitch to act up as uncontrollably as the thought of her John being gone, leaving her without purpose.

With everything loaded, Cameron waited for John to indicate it was time to depart. He took one final look at the desolation surrounding the road and turned to Cameron. John took her hand and guided Cameron to the troop hatch of the HK. Within minutes the trio of HKs were aloft and making directly towards the airfield.

 **0530 The Town of Gold Beach…**

The sound had come from the alleyway. The T-800 was certain. Nothing was in the empty alley except a sleeping dog. With more caution than normal for a Terminator, the T-800 approached the sleeping animal. Curiosity, both a blessing and a curse to Terminators, got the better of him. The dog had to have made the noise.

Nudging the sleeping dog to force it to move, the Terminator listened carefully for any sound. The animal exhaled and whined once, but did not move. Abandoning the animal to continue his search, the T-800 moved further down the alley, examining anything that could have been the source of the noise.

He never saw the razor sharp, pointed spear that penetrated the synthetic flesh as the base of his skull, severing the signal to his endoskeleton from his CPU. Control of his limbs gone, the T-800 fell with a clatter to the broken concrete of the alleyway. He didn't feel the paws of the large dog as it turned him over on his back. Even in his injured state, the T-800 found himself curious about the dog. _Why had it turned him over?_

"You should have remembered the human adage, _let sleeping dogs lie_."

Surprised to hear a dog talk with a human voice, the T-800 stored the recording in his database for future study. When he noticed the dog's foreleg morphing into a sharp, pointed spear it was not only too late, there was nothing he could do to stop the animal. Rearing back on its hind legs, the bull mastiff brought down its full weight, spearing the T-800 through its left eye, shattering its chip.

Catherine paused to admire her handiwork for a moment before she trotted off down the alleyway.

 **0540 – Eastern Side of Gold Beach…**

He had little doubt Catherine was fine. As a T-1000 she could easily handle herself in a fight and if necessary camouflage herself until the enemy was gone. The nagging doubt lingering in his CPU bothered Wilhelm. The data telling him he should be there to defend Catherine. Waiting at the eastern edge of the town was starting to wear on his nerves, if he possessed nerves. _And what did humans mean exactly by that expression?_ Wilhelm noted this phenomenon, deciding to discuss it with Savannah when he had a chance. He knew of Cameron's glitch and its anxiety-based source.

His six Terminators sat motionless in their positions. Wilhelm noted with pride his six human troops had learned to be nearly as motionless once in position. Their only display of movement was the occasional rise and fall of their chests as they breathed. Since his human troops suffered from this disadvantage, the need to expand and deflate their lungs in order to breath, Wilhelm had finally conceded to himself that for now he could do nothing further to improve their ability to remain motionless.

Of late Wilhelm had been considering the advantages and disadvantages of his mixed species unit. His Terminators were tougher in the sense they could absorb more physical punishment and once hidden in position, remain utterly motionless. They required vastly less amounts of maintenance down time and other than the need of his T-800s and T-888s to ingest protein and a small amount of water on a somewhat regular basis, they did not need to be fed. If his metal troops survived their wounds, they could be repaired and back in combat as soon as the repair was affected, The regeneration of their synthetic flesh took time but was not required to return to combat ready status. His human troops required time to heal and infection was a constant concern.

On the other hand, no matter what methods he tried, Wilhelm could not replicate in his metal troops the ferocity of his human troops in combat. Despite his being a veteran of years of the worst kinds of combat, Wilhelm still could not anticipate intuitively like his human troops. While he had learned the value and need to retreat, it had been difficult for him to integrate it into his command decision-making process. Humans on the other hand were not compelled by their very nature to never give up.

Wilhelm had made peace with the concept, allowing his programming to integrate withdrawal as an appropriate form of being relentless. He'd learned from John Connor retreat did not mean abandonment of the cause. Humans knew to disengage and search for a tactical or strategic advantage when necessary, often using retreat as a weapon, luring their enemy into a trap.

 _Savannah._ Wilhelm shook his head as she appeared in his HUD along with his chronometer marking the time passed since Catherine had entered the town. Lt. Dan played heavily in Wilhelm's plans for his beloved Airborne. He needed a human combat leader who possessed the qualities of a Terminator that humans could be taught. Such a leader would possess the best qualities of both species of his troops. _Why can't Savannah see the value of adding the Lt. to our clan?_

 **0610 – Abandoned Airfield…**

John walked quietly with Cameron at his side. Ruth followed behind, quietly taking note of everything as they approached the central area of the airfield. The HKs had landed at the far end of the runway. The infantry was already deployed in a perimeter around the HKs while the combat engineers and a squad of infantry moved cautiously along the western side of the airfield, beginning the process of setting up Teller Mines, Very lights and sensors.

A faint heat signature attracted Cameron and Ruth's attention, causing the two Terminators to slow their pace. John came to a complete stop, allowing the infiltrators to move ahead, vanishing into the darkness. He lay prone on the ground behind a large, thick clump of knotted growth, the likes of which he'd never seen until the expedition.

Minutes later a single click on his compiece gave him the all clear and he hurried towards the central hangar. He was greeted by The Assassin and his human scouts, the source of the heat signature.

"Any indication of life inside, human or otherwise?" John whispered.

"No General. I've scanned for sound, smell and any heat signature from human, mammalian or reptilian life and found none. We cannot rule out Terminators or booby traps."

"Any way inside besides the doors?"

"There are vents just below the peak of the roof on either end. To reach the vent however would require climbing the building. Given the metal siding, I doubt we could do so and not make sound."

"Ruth, think you can handle this?" John asked.

Ruth smiled as she took her helmet off and handed it to Cameron. She removed her boots and ponytail holder, pausing to glare at her brother and the two human scouts.

"Turn around," John whispered to the puzzled scouts.

Cameron watched as Ruth finished disrobing and began the morphing process. Her stature became even shorter as her arms took on a feathery appearance, changing into the powerful wings of a Condor. Ruth turned to face the wind and ran several steps as she completed the morphing process. Hearing the sound of the powerful wings flapping to generate lift, John and the scouts turned to watch as Ruth gained altitude, using the wind to lift her. As she soared, Ruth circled like a predator searching for prey on the ground below. With a flip of her tail, she flew far from the hangar, coming around in a large circle. Ruth flew around the building twice, gliding on the air currents, flapping her wings occasionally to maintain altitude.

Apparently satisfied it was safe to begin her approach, Ruth swooped down towards the roof of the building, landing with ease on the perch formed by the peek of the roof. Like a bird whose form she had assumed, Ruth scooted down towards the end of the hangar where the doors were, sliding first her left set of talons and then her right.

Reaching the end, Ruth grasped the roof firmly and leaned over to look in through the vent. After a few seconds, she vanished from view in the dim light.

John felt Cameron take his hand and squeeze it. "She's inside. Ruth will be fine John. This is what Skynet created T-1000s for."

"I know. I just worry."

Cameron leaned close to her John and whispered in his ear, "I do too, though I have no idea why."

As they waited for Ruth to reappear, Cameron noticed the smile on John's face.

"Wasn't she beautiful flying like that?"

 **0615 Gold Beach…**

Annoyed by the obvious deployment of the motion sensor, Catherine easily disarmed it, setting it in a continuous feedback loop rendering it useless. Her sensors detected emissions from the engines of diesel fueled transports nearby. With her canine head hanging low like a hungry stray, Catherine moved down the street, avoiding the debris from fallen storefronts or the occasional burned out vehicle.

Sounds of movement indicated Catherine was moving in the right direction as she neared the center of the town. Stopping on a street corner, Catherine peered around the edge of an abandoned drugstore. The view allowed her to see the entire town square, now occupied by a convoy of trucks. Surrounding the trucks were the Terminators she'd expected to find after her encounter with the T-800. In what had once been the grass covered park in the town square, a single strand of wire mounted on poles with glass insulators formed a square pen.

Huddled together in the pen was a ragged collection of frightened humans. Some stood while others sat or lay on the ground. Several mothers held small children close to their chests. All of them had the look of defeat in their eyes. They body language told Catherine they expected to die soon.

Gathering her courage, Catherine stepped out on to the road and made her way towards the now barren park. Stopping to sit on her hindquarters, she counted the humans, a total of 71 sick, hungry frightened souls. A T-600 approached, pointing its assault rifle at Catherine, she growled at the Terminator as she backed away, lunging just once to make certain the machine believed she was a dog, hoping her lack of a heat signature didn't give her away.

The T-600 took a step back and raised its weapon to its shoulder. Catherine tucked her tail between her legs and snarled convincingly as she retreated. The hungry humans watched the scarred animal leave. Many looked at Catherine as if she would be their last meal if they could just catch her.

Trotting quickly, Catherine crossed to the western side of the town square and disappeared down a side street. Morphing quickly into her human form, she climbed up the cast iron downspout of a two-story brick building. Making no sound Catherine moved to the side of the roof nearest the square and carefully peered down.

Each of the 14 trucks in the square contained two Terminators. Several stood guard over the prisoners. Inside of one of the businesses she could see several other Terminators. One appeared to be operating a radio.

"Skynet."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Fourteen – The First Shot**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **0625 - Gold Beach...**

As she watched the Terminators in what appeared to be the command post, Catherine heard a rumble in the distance. The sound grew closer, allowing Catherine to determine the direction of the sounds source. Catherine wasn't the only person to detect the approaching sound. Upon hearing the approaching sound, the pitiful group of human captives in the square had moved to the southern edge of their simple electrified holding pen. Whatever the ominous source of the sound was, the captives recognized it.

Slight vibrations ran through the roof of the building Catherine watched from, giving her the data necessary to identify the origin of the sound.

Armor.

Several of the trucks parked in the square started their engines and moved, creating space in the northern part of the square for the arrival of the approaching vehicles. Lights from the first vehicle pierced the darkness, announcing the arrival of the deadly machine.

An Abrams tank.

The lethal weapon pulled up onto the land in the town square and ground to a halt. It's turret traversed until its deadly gun was pointed directly at the captives. Following the heavy combat tank was three Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The Bradley's entered the square and fanned out on the northern side, the rear hatches opening to disgorge human Grey's. They appeared to be well fed and properly uniformed.

Each crew of Greys carried a heavy squad machine gun with its mount. Catherine watched as all three machine guns were set up, aimed at the human captives. She'd seen enough. A Skynet Death Squad had just arrived. Humans being used to kill other humans when there was plenty of Terminators already present to do the job struck Weaver as ironic. This Skynet had grown sadistic since being separated from the original A.I.

Using the same pipe she'd used to climb up to the roof, Catherine returned back to the alley, resuming her form as a female bullmastiff. Tremors in the ground announced the arrival of another heavy vehicle somewhere close to the town square.

Taking her time to walk across the square, Weaver carefully examined the four armored vehicles visible. All were vintage U.S. Army vehicles. No special modifications had been made. This Skynet either saw no reason to develop its own armor like Skynet California had, or its resources were too limited to do so, forcing the use of captured American armor. Either way, Wilhelm's squad of airborne was no match.

One of the newly arrived Grey's noticed Catherine walking slowly along the sidewalk on the far southern side of the town square. Bending over, the Grey picked up a chunk of debris the size of a softball and hurled it at the dog. Catherine didn't notice the projectile until too late. The debris struck squarely in her rib cage, causing her to scream out in pain.

Wanting nothing more than to Terminate the cruel human who'd struck her, Catherine settled for recording an image of his face and making a promise to herself to terminate him personally if the chance presented itself.

Staying in cover, she limped off hurriedly and vanished into the darkness. No longer interested in being unseen, Weaver broke into a brisk trot, hurrying towards the western edge of the town where Wilhelm and his troops waited.

 **0630 – The Abandoned Airfield…**

A grinding sound split the silence near the main hangar, announcing the start of the electric motors that powered the mechanism that opened the two huge doors. John and the other watched as the heavy gears worked to slide each of the doors to the side, leaving the interior of the hangar open to plain view.

Ruth, having returned to her preferred form, strolled out and made her way over to John and the others.

"Turn around," she commanded. John glared at The Assassin's two human scouts, indicating obedience was necessary. With his back turned, John heard the clear, easily identifiable sounds of Ruth getting dressed. Why his sister, a T-1000, felt the need to wear human clothing when she could simply morph her clothing was something he'd never understood and Ruth refused to explain. When asked, she'd simply shrug and frown. If pressed further, Ruth would fold her arms across her chest, indicating she was willing to be stubborn about the matter.

"There's nobody or nothing inside other than four small prop planes and the machine tools to maintain them."

"Get some engineers and pilots in here," John directed Cameron. "If these things can fly, we need to get them to TechCom. I want them checked out. The machine tools are going with us regardless, even if we have to dump some of the stuff we've scavenged in other places."

Dim lights flooded the hangar as one of the scouts found the generator used to power the lights and started it. John shielded his eyes until they adjusted to the light. Ruth had been right. Four apparently well maintained Cessna aircraft were stored in the huge hangar.

"The personnel will be here in minutes," Cameron reported.

"We're digging in. Until we can strip this place and get these planes ready to fly, we aren't budging. Make it happen."

Cameron nodded, watching her husband hurry towards the aircraft, leaving her to supervise the establishment of a defense for the airfield.

 **0635 – The Eastern Side of Gold Beach…**

Lt. Dan grew more worried with the passing of each second. It had been all he could do to talk his Major into staying put when the Terminators had detected the sound of approaching vehicles. They'd seen Catherine morph into a dog. The odds of anyone, including a Terminator, messing with a large, dangerous stray were slim. Rushing in to save Catherine would result in the loss of the element of surprise and ensure a firefight.

Dan split his attention between the men, the street Catherine had disappeared down and his Major. If she did not return soon, they would have to move, either into the town or retreat to the airfield, leaving Weaver behind.

To his relief, the large mastiff loped into view, slowing down to the normal, slow walk of a large dog. Catherine gave the impression she was tired, disinterested and heading for a hiding place. Exiting the lane she'd appeared in, Catherine picked up her pace to a slow trot, heading into the ruins of the surrounding countryside.

Wilhelm began moving from his position. Slowly moving with stealth towards the point where Catherine should arrive in minutes. They'd be moving one way or another.

Weaver appeared and stood up, morphing into her preferred form. The Lt. watched as the T-1000 touched the arm of the huge T-800 with a surprising gentleness, rubbing the Major's massive forearm affectionately. Wilhelm listened as Catherine briefed him quickly on what she'd seen. A click on his compiece indicated the Major wanted him.

Moving quickly, Lt. Dan made no sound as he hurried over to the Major.

"Skynet troops. Armor. They have 71 human captives. Catherine tells me a Death Squad has just arrived. Everything is located in the Town Square. There is one Abrams unaccounted for and random one Terminator patrols moving about the town."

Catherine spoke up, whispering, "They have random sensors in place. Easy to spot and disable with a continuous feedback loop. This is not going to end well for the captives. I believe these were the few survivors who still lived in the town and surrounding area."

Gunfire erupted before any further discussion or decisions could be made. The sound of heavy machine guns filled the night, announcing the deaths of 71 innocent captives.

"We'll need air support," Catherine said with a coldness that shocked even Wilhelm.

 **0637…**

"Catherine, I want you to reenter the town. Wilhelm, make sure she has a compiece. Report directly to me. If they leave town, I want to know the minute they depart and in what direction. Wilhelm, do not engage. Repeat do not engage. There is nothing we can do to help those prisoners. Await my further orders."

Cameron listened as John dictated his orders in terms even Wilhelm would not disobey. She'd known for a long time TechCom and her John would have to engage Skynet again. The shock of contact with Skynet forces was still a surprise. The massacre of the prisoners bringing back the feelings of shame she'd felt but never truly understood as a creation of Skynet.

Waiting patiently were the four pilots Cameron had ordered to the hangar. John finished dictating his orders to turn his full attention on them.

"Can these planes be flown back to TechCom?"

"We're pretty confident," the oldest human pilot said. "It depends on fuel and turbulence, but the aircraft appear to be capable of the flight."

"If the four of you fly south to TechCom, how will it impact our flight crews here?"

"We've been rotating every two hours of flight time. Two HKs will be down to three pilots and one will be down to two. Flying at the low altitudes required for the grid search patterns combined with the turbulence, it's exhausting," the pilot answered.

"If we could fly at higher altitudes in direct routes it shouldn't be problem, sir. Especially if you'd shorten the day's flight to 8-10 hours instead of the 14-16 hours we've been flying for the grid searches and mapping operations."

John paused to think for a moment before questioning the mechanic present. "You feel confident enough these birds will make it to make the trip in one of them?"

"Yes, General. If we have to, we can land on a stretch of road and I'll make repairs."

"If you can't destroy the plane. I'll provide you with road maps from before Judgment Day. Fly over the roads as much as possible. Avoid the areas that had been populated. You'll save time."

Cameron sensed John had made his decision. He planned to risk losing the four pilots and mechanic to send the planes south to TechCom.

"How soon before you can depart?"

"We found their fuel supply," the old pilot volunteered. "I figure two hours max to fuel up and run one last flight check and we can depart."

"Give Cameron a list of what you'll need for the trip. She'll make sure you get it."

John turned and motioned Cameron to follow him as he walked outside the hangar.

"Skynet just massacred the surviving inhabitants of Gold Beach."

John paused to make sure Cameron registered what he had just told her.

"Is this our fight John?"

"Cameron, you know it is," he replied in a kind tone. "I know our region is safer than during the war with Skynet, but this fight has always been about saving humanity from that monster."

"Even if the monster is no longer as strong? No longer a threat to you?"

"Cameron, so long as we are alive and there is a Skynet, we are in danger. The TOK?"

His wife was anxious, unsettled. John had come to understand he would never grasp the conflict and anxiety Cameron experienced in regard to Skynet. As a human, he couldn't understand what it meant to be an individual created and built by such an evil creature as Skynet. But he fully understood the danger Skynet posed to himself, his family and every living human on the planet. And in the case of Terminators free from Skynet's control, the danger was just as real for them.

John slipped his arms around Cameron and held her close. Squeezing her tight in his arms, he could feel the edges of parts of her combat chassis that made up her skeleton. It saddened him a creature so loyal and so lethal could be fearful of her own creator.

"We'll get through this, we always do," he assured Cameron. "We might not even have to fight, but if we do, I want to dictate the fight. Okay?"

Cameron nodded.

"Promise me if there are risks to be taken, you let me be the one to do so," Cameron demanded. "I am more likely to survive and there must be someone to tend to Hailey."

John tilted his head, asking Cameron what she meant.

"If you are killed, I will not want to exist," she said softly.

"Well, then we're just going to make sure that doesn't happen, okay?"

A grunt escaped John's lips as Cameron responded with a hug that was too strong, squeezing the breath out of him.

"I can't breath," he gasped, causing Cameron to release him.

"I take it then you will obey my directive," Cameron monotoned. "This is not the commander speaking to the General. This is the wife who loves her husband."

"Directive noted."

"You will follow it?"

"I'll try," John said with a grin. "Find me the Assassin and get those pilots airborne."

 **0715…**

John adjusted his night vision goggles a final time, allowing him to watch The Assassin and his two scouts vanish in the dark distance, taking a heading that would place them on Oregon State Highway 101 just north of the town. Accompanying the trio was the radioman from the Gunship HK.

The outer defenses were pulled back to form a smaller defensive perimeter, freeing up personnel. New lines of anti-personnel mines of were being established along with Very Lights, some set with trip wires.

John could feel the tension in his back and neck build as he watched the pilots load up the refueled Cessna's. The mechanic loaded his tools and other items into the lead aircraft. Several personnel helped load the plans with food, water and other items needed for the trip.

The pilots boarded the aircraft and began slowly moving towards the approach to the runway. All along the runway on either side were TechCom personnel, each holding their flashlight and pointing the beam skywards, providing some light for the pilots to see to take off. In less than five minutes the four planes were airborne. They circled the field once and departed, flying due south.

Watching from the eastern end of the tarmac, John observed Cameron form up the ambush she would lead. The dozen troops they had been able to relieve by reducing their defensive perimeter would have to be enough. It would be Wilhelm's job to draw the Skynet forces into Cameron's ambush. The arrival of the airborne would double the number of troops she would have. John hoped it would enough.

Cameron approached quickly, stopping close to John. "Hailey and Ruth are going with me. Pray we will be safe. I must return to protect you," she whispered.

"I love you and you love me," John whispered.

"You be safe so I can love you," Cameron answered. "You have not put on your body armor. I have assigned the Old Man as your personal protection detail. Sammy is in his crate on our HK. Do not let him out. I expect to see you in your body armor when I return."

"Yes, Commander Connor," John whispered as Cameron marched off, looking over her shoulder at him, giving him her best Terminator Death Glare.

 **0730 – Gold Beach….**

Catherine loped along the alleyway, approaching the town square from the south. Her sensors detected heavy traces of particulate that human olfactory nerves signaled as smelling like a coppery scent.

The smell of blood.

Changing her gait to include a limp as if injured by the rock thrown at her, Catherine approached the makeshift holding pen. Two Terminators were busy disassembling the poles and electrical wire. The generator that provided the power to the fence had already been loaded.

Four sickly human adult males were stacking the bodies in a grotesque pile. Five-gallon cans of gasoline were in evidence at the end of the pile. The murderers planned to burn the evidence. No doubt the four survivors would then be shot and added to the human bonfire.

Catherine noticed the second, missing Abrams tank had made its appearance and was now parked to the north of the square with the first Abrams behind it. A Terminator exited the command post from the small store on the east side of the square and climbed up on the first tank, disappearing down the turret hatch. Seconds later the turbine started with a roar promptly followed by the second Abram's turbine starting, adding to the din.

The pair of tanks slowly made their departure, heading in the direction of Highway 101 North. A lone Bradley fighting vehicle, it's compliment of Greys secure inside followed behind.

Catherine sniffed at the air and whined before turning and trotting down a side street and vanishing from sight. Morphing into her preferred form, Catherine retrieved her compiece.

"Two Abrams and one Bradley are heading north. They appear to be headed to Highway 101. The rest are staying behind. They're going to burn the bodies."

"Acknowledged," John answered.

"Assassin, ready?"

"We've buried the anti-tank mines. We'll get the treads off the first one but make sure the Gunship can make a run after we stop them."

"You got it," the pilot of the Gunship replied. "We're airborne and holding just to the east to stay out of visual and auditory range. Make sure my spotter puts the laser on the target when we begin our first run."

"Wilhelm, begin moving into the town. When you hear the first explosion, open fire and begin withdrawing. Make sure you pull back slow enough you don't break contact. You'll be retreating through the ambush position and the kill zone. No stragglers. Cameron is going to set the Teller Mines off regardless of where you and your men are. Is that clear?"

"Loud and clear," Wilhelm replied.

"If you need air support after we handle the armor, get on the horn and call it in. Do you understand? Wilhelm? Cameron?"

The clicks on his compiece gave John his answer. He sat down at a table in the small office in the hangar and placed his hands on the smooth surface. Even then he was not able to stop the tremors in his hands and forearms. Clasping his hands together, he honored Cameron's request to pray, wishing Ellison and the family's priest were present to join him.

 **Gold Beach…**

From her vantage point, Catherine saw the first of Wilhelm's human troops emerge from the cover near the edge of town. She signaled with a single flash from her flashlight, attracting Lt. Dan's attention.

He spotted Catherine and motioned for the first element to follow him as he led them towards Catherine's location. Fifteen seconds later she was relieved to spot Wilhelm's big frame emerge, his metal airborne troopers behind him as he strode with purpose in the direction Lt. Dan had taken. She smiled inwardly at the Cuban jutting from his mouth and the angle at which he carried his assault rifle.

Not waiting for the second element to arrive, Catherine turned to lead the six humans into town. Wilhelm would follow. They had minutes to be in position.

 **North of Gold Beach – Oregon State Highway 101…**

The Assassin watched the approach from the rise at the top of the hill. The lead tank would have just crossed the crest of the hill and begun its descent when it would hit the anti-tank mines. The second tank would barely have reached the top of the hill when the Gunship began its run.

On the west side of the road, one of his scouts was babysitting the spotter sent with them. Another item he wanted something done about. He and his men worked better alone. If they were to be sent out for missions like this, he did not want spotters along. It was dangerous enough without babysitting a flyboy.

Finding Skynet meant the pace of war, which had been almost non-existent, was going to pick up considerably. There would be a need for more three-man teams like his. The Assassin added this fact to the list of things he planned to discuss with the General on the long trip home to TechCom.

The clatter of the approaching Abram's treads grew louder. The Assassin flicked the safety off his assault rifle and readied himself. To his left, his other scout was hidden from view, ready to finish any survivors of the blast who might abandon the tank.

 **North of Gold Beach – TechCom Gunship HK…**

Looking at his passive radar display, the pilot noted the approach of the first tank. The instant the tank stopped its forward progress he would begin his gun run. All three turrets were manned with their gun crews.

The spotter on the ground would light up the damaged lead tank with a laser device, allowing the gunners to lock in on the first target. Using 20 mm depleted uranium rounds, the gunship crew hoped to at least disable the two Abram's on the first pass. The Bradley would go up in flames.

Squeezing his hands on his controls, the pilot tried to calm his nerves. Strafing infantry, even infantry with surface-to-air missiles, was one thing. Going against armor was another.

"Tank is nearly at the crest of the rise," his T-888 co-pilot monotoned. "We should begin our approach."

 **North of Gold Beach – Oregon State Highway 101…**

The roar of the lead Abram's grew louder. The scout midway up the hill watched as the massive armored vehicle made its way past him. He hated situations like this. Walking miles behind enemy positions with his partners did not bother him. He found it peaceful in a strange way. Confronting huge machines of war was never on his list of things to do by choice.

He checked his two hand grenades one final time and thumbed off the safety of his assault rifle. The explosion would be any second now.

Across the road, the other scout waited with the nervous spotter. Like the Assassin, he did not like working with someone not a member of their trio. It had taken him awhile to get used to his T-600 commander. Now he found it reassuring to work with the Terminator. The Assassin was relentless but consistent. Without fail their leader could be counted on. The T-600 was not the most intuitive scout, but the human scout had learned that was his job. He was trusted to give insight where the Assassin could not, allowing their leader to make the right decision.

Flames burst into the sky as the wave of sound pushed the scout and the spotter into the ground. Shrapnel from the destroyed segments of track flew into the dead forest around them. The spotter screamed as a piece of white-hot steel slammed into his thigh, slicing it open like a hot knife through butter.

"Light it up," the scout hissed.

Terrified, the spotter tossed the device at the scout who dropped it in the dark. "You light it up," the spotter screamed, dragging himself from their hidden position.

"You idiot," the scout yelled, frantically searching for the laser guidance device.

The crew of the damaged Abrams came to life as the machine gunner began methodically sweeping the area, searching for any enemy personnel nearby.

Realizing something had gone wrong and the gunship had not begun its attack run, the Assassin stood up to rush the tank. He removed the thermite grenade he carried from his harness in preparation for use. Staying low, he ran serpentine towards the tank. The gunner spotted the T-600 and caught the Assassin square with a long burst of armor piercing rounds, severing his right leg at the hip and his right arm at the elbow. The thermite grenade rolled beyond the Assassin's grasp as he fell on the ground, helpless to protect his men.

He watched as the wounded spotter tried to drag himself across the open road. The Assassin realized what had happened. Before he could warn the spotter, the tank's gunner spotted the human. Another long burst tore into the spotter's torso. The darkness prevented the Assassin from seeing the full extent of the murderous damage done to the dead soldier's body.

 **Gold Beach…**

"That's it," Wilhelm whispered. He opened fire from his vantage point, riddling the body of a T-888 with Terminator Killer rounds, knocking the machine down. He watched as one of his human troopers dispatched it from point blank range by firing a burst into its Coltan steel skull and shattering it.

Tracer fire and the sound of bullets whizzing past made it clear the firefight had begun. Wilhelm watched as several thermite grenades were lobbed into the trucks, exploding in brilliant white flashes of light, setting the trucks on fire. In the town square hellish orange and red flames leapt skywards as someone from the Skynet force set fire to the bodies of the dead prisoners.

Through the haze of smoke and shadows, Wilhelm could see the Skynet forces massing for a charge. There were over a hundred present now with the bulk being Terminators. There had to been a large number searching the town when Catherine had done her count. The fact she had terminated one supported his conclusion.

Using his compiece, Wilhelm gave the order to begin the withdrawal. His human troops would be the first to fallback, moving east to the edge of the town.

 **The TechCom Gunship…**

"Something's gone wrong," the pilot shouted over the intercom as he raced the turbines up to full speed.

"We're going in hot and fast. I'm going to make a hard left bank. I doubt we're going to pick up the laser signal so I'm turning on the floodlights. Make sure you don't miss or we'll be easy targets.

 **North of Gold Beach – Oregon State Highway 101…**

The lone scout saw The Assassin go down and had seen the spotter be riddled with bullets. Approaching the top of the hill was the second Abrams. It had turned on its spot light and was scanning the area. Without thinking, the scout grabbed his two grenades and jumped to his feet, sprinting directly towards the damaged Abrams. Reaching the side just as the gunner of the second tank opened fire, the climbed up the side and yanked the hatch of the turret open. To his surprise it had not been sealed shut. He pulled the pin of both grenades and tossed them down the turret hatch, slamming the hatch down. He leaped off on the far side of the road and hurried desperately towards cover.

Spotting his human partner, he dove into the drainage ditch by the road.

Behind, two distinct, separate explosions could be heard inside the Abrams. An enormous explosion followed as the tank erupted like a volcano, flames shooting towards the sky as huge pieces of the complex vehicle flew in every direction peppering the area with shrapnel in every imaginable size.

Crawling to his partner who watched the vehicle burn, the scout shook his head in an effort to clear the ringing from his ears.

"Must have set off the ammunition inside," he muttered to nobody in particular.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Fifteen – The Darkness Returns**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Town of Gold Beach…**

Wilhelm watched as the six human troopers in his squad scurried into the darkness. Two of his men had to be helped after taking rounds in their legs. A click on his compiece from Lt. Dan told him the human troopers were in position and ready to cover his Terminators as they fell back into the Wastelands east of Gold Beach.

He motioned for his troops to pull out and fall back before stooping to pick up the legless T-800 who had inadvertently stepped on a landmine. Wilhelm was thankful this soldier was a Terminator. The wounds to the T-800's synthetic flesh were gruesome but the Terminator would survive despite having lost his legs. He balanced the deactivated trooper on his back and moved away from the cover of the building. Bullets began to whiz past Wilhelm as he calmly made his way into the cover of the Wastelands.

The dull thud of a bullet striking flesh told him his soldier had been hit again. As Wilhelm moved behind a large pile of broken bricks he felt the familiar sting of bullets striking his left shoulder and calf. His CPU noted the injuries and reduced the level of sensory data collected to allow Wilhelm to still function efficiently.

As he moved past the line of human troopers laying down covering fire, he indicated to Lt. Dan to pull out in 30 seconds. Skynet's forces were in pursuit and engaged. There would be no need to avoid breaking contact now. Speed meant the difference between survival and termination. The Terminators in pursuit would not give up now even if contact was broken.

 **North of Gold Beach – Oregon State Highway 101…**

The sudden updraft of hot air rocked the Gunship HK as the lead Abrams exploded. Clearly visible in the light of the burning fire was the second Abrams. The tank was slowly turning in an effort to bring its hull-mounted machine gun to bear on targets in the ditch, unaware of the lurking Gunship above.

Tracers flew from the tanks gun, lighting up the area around the ditch, revealing the location of the two scouts.

"Those are our guys," the pilot shouted. "Let's do what we came to do!"

Banking slightly to provide all three turrets with better targeting as the HK began its gun run, 20 mm depleted uranium rounds flew out of the dual mini-guns mounted in the Gunships three turrets. Tracers allowed the gunners to put rounds on the top of the tank and accurately maintain their fire as the Gunship curved through its run.

Flames and dark smoke erupted from the engine compartment as the turbine disintegrated. The turret hatch flew open as the commander bailed out only to be decimated by the fire from the Gunships mini-guns. The remains of his bloody torso slid down the side of the tank, leaving a red wash on the side. Another crewman made it out of the turret only to be decapitated, his corpse sliding back down into the turret, blocking the path of the other crewmen.

Caught in the bright searchlights of the Gunship, the Bradley vehicle's back opened, spilling out the nine Greys who occupied it. Ignoring the empty Bradley as it surged forward towards the burning second Abrams, the gunners shredded the fleeing Greys.

The pilot broke off the run and climbed, making a hard banking turn to the left to set up a second gun run. As the edge of the bright white searchlights cast shadows on the Bradley the 20 mm rounds tore into the top of the armored infantry carrier, ripping through the armor plate. The gunners kept firing, walking their deadly rounds up the highway and into the rear of the second burning Abrams. Several rounds entered the turret through the open hatch, passing through the decapitated torso of the dead crewman, setting off the ammunition store inside.

Nearly blacking out from the sudden Gs generated by pulling up to gain altitude and put space between the Gunship and the Abrams, the pilot was slammed into his controls as the shock wave from the explosion slammed into the HK, bouncing it about. Fighting to remain conscious, the pilot flinched in shock as the turret of the second Abrams flew past the HK, tumbling in the air.

Regaining control, the pilot circled to pass over the targets for a film run. The Bradley was still crawling forward, slamming into the burning hulk of the body of the second Abrams.

"Over there," his co-pilot pointed. "We can put down there and check for survivors."

Shaken from the explosions, the pilot quickly maneuvered the HK into its landing cycle and slowly set the large aircraft down.

 **0830 - Abandoned Airfield…**

The blonde NCO approached the General with caution. He looked relaxed. Experience, however, had taught her to never trust the outward appearance of officers. They were typically a moody lot and never liked to hear bad news. She knocked on the door frame of the small shack General Connor had taken to using has his temporary command post until he needed to move into the Command & Control HK.

"Enter," Connor replied without changing the point in space he was staring at.

The blonde NCO saluted and entered, standing at attention. The General still did not look up as he casually returned the salute.

"Sir, news from Commander Connor."

The General reached out his arm towards the NCO. She placed the folded piece of paper into his hand and stepped back, awaiting further orders. After reading the paper General Connor wadded it up and let it drop to the floor.

"Take a seat Sergeant. There won't be any need for a hurrying about for a bit still."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't be nervous. I can do that for both of us."

"Yes, General," the NCO replied, taking a seat in an old, battered metal and orange plastic chair.

"Everyone has this misguided idea I'm this all powerful military leader," the General informed her somberly. "I make all these plans and set them in motion. From that point forward I have no power, no control. I just sit and wait to hear how many casualties my ideas have caused."

"Yes, sir," the blonde replied, not knowing what else to do or say.

"It's okay to not speak," the General told her. "My family often uses silence to extract information. People feel uncomfortable sitting in silence so they just talk to fill the void with sound. You'd be surprised what people tell you if you just sit in silence and wait. Remember that."

"Yes, sir."

"I sent my wife and daughter into harms way today. My sister too. Add to that list the names of several of my good friends."

John turned to look at the sergeant for the first time since her arrival. His face seemed tired, worn with the burden of command. The guilt he felt at the orders he had given seemed to weigh on him like a giant rock, slowly grinding him into the hard ground below.

"What does that say about me as a person Sergeant," the General asked.

Feeling uncomfortable in the General's gaze, the sergeant looked down, remembering his admonition to not be afraid to sit in silence. Still, a general officer had asked her, a non-commissioned officer, a question. An answer would be expected.

"I think it says you are a strong man, General. You make hard choices even though the price for you is high, perhaps too high. It says you are just. You do not shield friends and family from danger at the expense of others. It is why we follow. We know our General is just. You suffer with us Sir."

The General resumed staring at the spot on the wall, seemingly ignoring the NCO's presence. The minutes passed in silence though the NCO felt slightly more at ease in the presence of her General.

"That message you delivered, the one on the floor."

"Yes, General."

"Our airborne squad has made contact with the ambush. The Skynet forces from the town will be in contact in minutes."

"Yes, General."

"My wife, my daughter and my sister are there."

"They'll be okay General."

"You can't know that. Nobody but God can know that."

"Sir, I have to believe that. You're not the only person who has someone who will be in the fight."

She watched as the General tilted his head to the right, thinking. He'd learned the habit from his wife, a source of amusement among his troops.

"Lt. Dan."

"Yes, General," she replied blushing.

"Good officer. Good man."

"I think so, Sir."

"You realize you're going to have some stiff competition for him."

"Nothing I can't handle, Sir."

Her sense of being uncomfortable returned as the General looked bemused. "Oh, I guess we'll see in the next few weeks won't we."

"Sir."

The General looked at the NCO and smiled. "You better get back to the C&C HK."

"Yes, General," she replied, coming to attention and saluting. Relieved, the blonde left the small building. The engineers hurriedly packed away the last of what was to be taken from the hangar. The light from their floodlights cast eerie shadows about the complex of buildings. As she made her way towards the area where the two remaining HKs were waiting, she noticed a shadow emerging from the larger shadow of another outbuilding.

Curious, she stopped to turn and search the shadows. A gasp of fright escaped her lips. Two red dots of light watched her from the depths of the shadows. She drew her sidearm and assumed a firing stance.

"Holster your weapon Sergeant."

She froze, torn between fear of what lurked in the shadows and the commanding presence behind her.

"If you shoot the Old Man, my wife Cameron will have your hide. And then Sergeant, you'll get to deal with my daughter and my sister."

"My apologies, General," the NCO replied, trembling as she holstered her weapon.

"No need. You're the first person to spot the Old Man in years when he doesn't want to be seen. You're either really good, or he's slipping a bit."

Her body shaking at the mention of the Connor family's protector, the Sergeant turned and ran towards the waiting HK.

"Old Man."

"Yes, General?"

"There was no reason to scare her like that."

"Sir, I was in plain view when she brought the message and the sergeant did not notice me. She needed a good scare if you ask me."

John sighed. There was no point in arguing with the Old Man. The old T-600 felt it was the responsibility of every member of TechCom to look after the well being of the Connor-Reese family, not just his.

"Let's go. We might as well move to the C&C HK."

 **0840 – The Ambush…**

Nothing more could be done until the advancing Skynet forces moved into the kill zone. Cameron had sent the two wounded human troopers back to the airfield for medical treatment. A T-600 carried the two while a T-800 carried the deactivated T-800 back for storage until Savannah could examine his damage and wounds.

Catherine had arrived minutes behind the airborne troops, still in the form of a dog. She'd morphed into her preferred template and to Cameron's surprise had sat Wilhelm down without saying a word. Morphing her fingers into a medical probe similar to the one John used on Cameron, Catherine had begun the process of extracting the bullets from Wilhelm's latest wounds.

On the northern end of the ambush's position, Cameron had positioned one of her three squad machine guns. Manned by the most experienced human troops allotted to her, she checked the field of fire of their gun for the fifth time. Moving with purpose, Cameron moved down the positions of her troops, inspecting them again as she encouraged them.

In the middle of the position was the second gun, manned by Hailey and Ruth. Two T-800 paratroopers were on either side of the girls, placed there by Cameron to cover the gun's flanks. At the far end of the position the third squad gun was ready.

The only thing left for Cameron to do was wait.

 **Oregon State Highway 101 North of Gold Beach…**

The gunner shielded his eyes from the dust and grit kicked up by the HK's turbines. Tentatively he peered out into the darkness, the HK's bright searchlights seeming dim now that the aircraft was on the ground. Armed with only an assault rifle, the gunner worked up his never and jumped to the ground from the jump hatch. Hurrying away from the cover of the HK, he found the remains of a large tree and took cover.

Waiting for nearly a minute for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, the gunner pulled on his night vision gear and began visually searching the area where the two scouts had been spotted by the pilot. The light from the fires of the two burning tanks proved problematic, forcing him to remove the night vision gear and use natural eyesight.

He peered at the jump hatch, waiting for the Tech Sergeant who had been ordered to help him search for the scouts and the Assassin. Appearing to be even more nervous, the skinny NCO jumped from the hatch and tumbled on the ground, regaining his fee to limp in the direction of the gunner.

"Over here," the gunner hissed.

Frightened, the NCO hobbled his way over to the tree.

"See anything?"

"No, the night vision stuff won't work with the light from the fires."

"So we have to stumble around looking?" the fearful NCO asked.

"Looks like it. Stay close."

The gunner began making his way through the remains of the forest, staying parallel to the drainage ditch running along the road. He noticed what appeared to be two humans at the bottom of the ditch, lying motionless. Neither wore the uniform of Skynet forces and both appeared dirty and weathered.

"Hey!"

The heads of the two humans lying in the ditch spun in the gunner's direction.

"TechCom?"

The second on the two lept from the ditch and knocked the gunner over before he could react. Sitting on his chest the shadowy figure held a razor sharp blade to the gunner's throat.

"Don't advertise we're here," the scout sounded out through clinched teeth, taking the knife from the gunner's throat.

The scout moved into the darkness and surveyed the area before whispering to the gunner.

"My buddy broke his ankle. Needs help to the Gunship. The Assassin is in a bad way somewhere on the road. You get my buddy on the Gunship and I'll deal with the Assassin. You see any Skynet forces, you take off immediately and leave us, do you understand?"

Terrified, the gunner nodded. He paused for a moment before moving. "Where's our spotter?"

"He bought it," was the grim reply. "Not much left to bring home."

The gunner swallowed, his anxiety increasing the longer he was outside the safer confines of his Gunship. He motioned for the Tech Sergeant to follow him as he made his way into the ditch. The pair lifted the injured scout and carried him towards the waiting Gunship.

The scout watched until his partner was safely aboard before beginning his crawl towards the Assassin's body lying in the highway. Upon reaching his stationary commander he was relieved to see the chest armor intact as well as the skull. Both bore a few new scratches but were otherwise undamaged. The Assassin would be fine after his repairs and he was reactivated. Not bothering to look for the T-600s missing arm and leg, the scout turned the Assassin on his damaged side and sat the heavy Terminator upright. Leaning the torso against his back, the scout leaned forward while holding the left arm over his shoulder and grasping the remains of the Assassin's right hip against his lower back.

Struggling to maintain balance, the scout only made it a few steps towards the gunship before falling down. He removed his belt and ran it through the damaged shoulder of the T-600. For a second time he leveraged the Assassin on to his back.

This time he lay prone on the ground and crawled towards the gunship, scraping flesh from his knees and elbows. His left hand slipped forward, causing him to slam his chin into the asphalt pavement, splitting his chin open. The scout shook his head to clear the stars from the blow, sending blood flying to either side of him like a dog shaking its jowls after drinking.

It took nearly seven minutes for the scout to make it to the waiting hands of the crew. They carefully lifted the assassin into the troop bay and helped the scout on board. The crew carried the Assassin and strapped him into a flight seat. Next to the T-600 was the other scout, his lower leg in a splint until he could get proper treatment. Sitting down next to his human partner, the scout pushed away the crewman who tried to look at the gaping wound in his chin.

The crewman gave the scout an angry look before shaking his head and disappearing. The vibration of the craft and the increased whine of the turbines told the scout they were airborne.

"You better strap in."

"What for? We get shot down it won't matter," the scout replied, looking at his bleeding hands. He began picking tiny bits of dirt and rocks from his raw, bleeding flesh.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," his buddy agreed.

 **The Ambush…**

Silence permeated the entire kill zone. Nothing moved. Nothing made the slightest noise. The creatures who populated the Wastelands had sensed danger approaching. Cameron knew the Skynet force was close to the kill zone. She held the detonator controls in her left hand and her purple gripped Glock-17 in her right while keeping an eye on her sensor boards. She listened intently to her compiece to here from the lone sentry posted afar both north and south to watch for infiltrators attempting to flank the ambush position.

All the data rushing to her CPU informed Cameron it would be any minute before one of the sensors was tripped. When the second line set of sensors were tripped, the Very Lights would go up, lighting the Wastelands up. Then Cameron would detonate the Teller Mines.

 **Highway 101 South of the California – Oregon Border…**

"Do you see movement down there," the pilot asked. His T-800 co-pilot looked up from the map he was scanning into his CPU and did a visual sensor sweep of the highway below.

"Vehicles of some sort moving in a convoy north."

"Let the others know. I'm going down so we can take a look."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Sixteen – "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war."**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **0850 – The Ambush…**

Something set off the first and second set of sensors. Cameron heard the whoosh of the rockets lifting the Very Lights up in the sky. Loud pops sounded as the brilliant flares chutes opened, controlling the slow descent of the bright lights. Caught in the glaring light that lifted the cold darkness were dozens of Terminators. Cameron pressed the detonator to the first line of Teller mines.

Hell itself seemed to light up the kill zone as the mines exploded, launching their deadly loads of steel ball bearings into the air at blinding speed. The concussion from the blast itself cleared debris and dead plant life from the kill zone as the lethal spheres of steel slammed into the flesh of the T-880s and T-888s, ripping flesh from their steel endoskeletons. Cameron flinched as the decibels momentarily passed beyond her ability to measure sound. In less than a second the brilliant light began to fade away as crippled Terminators began to collapse, missing arms, legs or even parts of their facial structure.

The brilliant red light from the blast faded into nothingness, restoring the greyish darkness. Lighted only by the piercing beams of white from the Very Lights, pairs of red lights could be seen moving slowly through the dark mist. Occasionally a single red light moved awkwardly as its owner compulsively moved towards its prey.

Cameron set off the second round of Teller Mines. Again the kill zone was lighted by the hellish blast of the mines, this time mowing down already damaged Terminators. The first wave of Very Lights began to burn out, dimming the view of the kill zone. Another whoosh sounded as Cameron set off another round of the brilliant lights.

In the distance she could see a second wave of Terminators moving into the kill zone, this time with Greys interspersed in the skirmish lines. The third and final wave of Teller Mines would have to be held in reserve.

"Hold your fire," she commanded, standing to move down the firing line. "Hold your fire. Wait until my order. Fire on burst and aim for the face. Head shots are your best chance for a kill shot." Her sensors detected the heat of a near miss as the round whizzed past her face. Sensors in her thigh detected the first hit of the firefight. Her CPU adjusted the sensitivity of the sensors in the affected area to prevent her CPU from being overloaded with data.

She took cover behind the middle squad gun, watching the Terminators continue their slow, relentless approach. Cameron took the opportunity to scan the girls, fearful of what might happen to them.

A piercing scream sounded in the TechCom lines as a young woman in the uniform of the infantry fell backwards, grasping her throat as blood spewed between her fingers. A gargling sound could be heard over the din of the gunfire, growing fainter by the second as the life leaked quickly from the mortally wounded woman.

Cries of terror began to filter down the TechCom line as inexperienced engineers and mechanics watched the horror of the steadily advancing Terminators. Screams of fear mixed with the deafening din of gunfire combined with the macabre lighting of the drifting Very Lights. The battle zone seemed surreal with the red eyed steel monsters approaching, their flesh shorn and clothes ripped to bloody rags.

"Fire! Unleash hell," Cameron screamed, raising her own assault rifle and squeezing off a single burst directly into the closest Skynet Terminator. The three rounds slammed into the left side of the machine's face, tearing away the red optic and most of the Coltan steel cheekbone structure. Cameron fired another burst and the Terminator's skull exploded as the Terminator Killer rounds destroyed the metal killer's chip. Devoid of life, the machine slammed into the ground.

Tracers from the three squad machine guns flew threw the darkness, adding eerie flashes of red and green light moving like falling stars in the sky. Cameron spotted severed limbs in the kill zone, the limbless torsos still moving. Some pushed themselves forward with their remaining leg. Other's pulled themselves forward with one or both arms.

Another whoosh sounded as Wilhelm sent up a round of Very Lights. In the distance the second wave to Terminators and Greys had entered the effective range of the last line of Teller Mines. Cameron waited patiently, listening to Wilhelm calm the troops and direct fire. Lt. Dan could be heard at the northern end of the line, directing fire and trying to hearten the terrified inexperienced fighters. Catherine sat patiently behind the lines, sheltering behind a large boulder, tapping the pointed tips of her weaponised fingers as she watched the carnage unfold.

"Get me the Gunship on the horn," Cameron screamed at the frightened engineer huddling by the radio. "Give them our coordinates and tell them to lay it down danger close."

The would be radio operator looked up at Cameron. Her right ear was gone along with most of her hair on that side of her head. Blood covered her throat and chest as the flesh of her cheek dangled, ripped from her skull. The intensity of Cameron's unique blue optics was more terrifying than the normal Terminator red. The woman dropped the radio mike in terror and fled. Catherine pounced from behind the boulder, lancing the coward in the throat, ending her flight before it began. Catherine looked at the dead woman in disgust as she wiped the blood from her fingers on the woman's dirt covered uniform.

Cameron called the Gunship herself, sending the coordinates to the pilot. Staying on the radio, she watched as her troops struggled to hold the remains of the first line of Terminators. If the Gunship did not begin its run in sixty seconds, she would set off the last line of Teller Mines and order a counterattack after telling John to evacuate and not return.

 **South of the California-Oregon Border – Coast Highway 101…**

The Cessna flew slowly in a wide circle out over the Pacific Ocean. The remaining three aircraft had headed inland, giving the advancing convoy a wide berth. Turning back inland, the pilot located the highway and followed it north. In less than a kilometer he spotted the last vehicle of the convoy. Climbing to gain altitude to avoid possible anti-aircraft fire or surface-to-air missiles, the pilot fought to control the shakes he experienced in order to give the T-800 a chance to finish recording as much data as possible.

"Got it?"

"Enough. Climb higher and head out to sea again," the T-800 said urgently.

"What did you see?"

"Bradley's. Several trucks and five fuel lighters. Total of 40 vehicles. That is not an insignificant task force."

The pair flew in silence as the Cessna began its circle back towards land.

"Will our radio reach the airfield?"

"Doubtful. It is in poor repair."

A sigh escaped the pilot. "I used to just fly people places in my Cessna. I never in my life dreamed I would be doing something like this."

The T-800 stared out into the darkness while the pilot concentrated on the instruments.

"We really don't have a choice do we," the pilot asked.

"No," the T-800 replied. "I will radio the others and tell them we are returning to the airfield. TechCom will make excellent use of these aircraft."

 **The Ambush…**

Cameron pressed the detonator, setting off the last of the Teller Mines. Once gain the Dante like inferno played out before her. Human screams were added to the cacophony of terrifying noise as the Greys were mowed down, leaving most of them broken and gored.

Explosions ripped the air as lines of red and green tracers ripped through the ranks of the advancing Terminators. Cameron's hearing vanished as her sensors shut down to prevent damage. The entire ambush zone was as bright as a day before Judgment Day as the Gunship finished its first run. Cameron's heat sensors detected a significant increase in the ambient temperature.

As her CPU gradually turned back on her auditory sensors, Cameron could hear the whine of the HK's turbines scream is the pilot banked the aircraft as hard as he could to start a return run. Explosions sounded as the depleted uranium rounds ripped holes in the atmosphere. Cameron watched as entire Terminators fell to pieces before her optics as the deadly Gunship wreaked its havoc.

The first wave of Terminators broke. Confused and damaged machines began to turn back. None of the survivors of the first wave were undamaged. Most hobbled while some pulled themselves along on the ground, passing Terminators already damaged and still moving towards the TechCom lines.

"Prepare to counterattack," Cameron shouted. Wilhelm and Lt. Dan began passing the order, shouting encouragement to the veteran troopers and slapping sense into the terrified engineers and inexperienced infantry when necessary. Catherine joined Cameron, standing silently by the TOK like a predator sensing the start of the hunt.

For a third time the earth exploded in light and sound as the Gunship began its run. The second wave bore the brunt of the Gunships fury. The remaining Greys were slaughtered, their bodies dismembered and scattered about like so much raw meat at a sausage factory. T-600s vanished from sight while the remaining T-888s and T-800s danced the dance of the dying, as their steel battle chassis were ripped apart.

"Attack," Cameron shouted. She surged forward with Catherine by her side. In the periphery of her vision Cameron saw Hailey and Ruth stand up. Hailey cradling the hot machine-gun with her heat resistant mitts on. Ruth struggled to balance herself with the heavy tripod on her back, still unfolded so the gun could be quickly remounted and returned to action. The pair of T-800s assigned to protect the pair looked worse for the wear with wounds on their faces and arms. Each carried to steel boxes of ammo for the machine guns.

Cameron walked at a steady, measured pace, her Glock-17 in her hand. As she passed the first of the fallen Skynet Terminators she did not even slow down as she put rounds through their left optics, delivering the fatal kill shot. As the TechCom Skirmish line advanced, leapfrogging forward, the veterans, human and Terminator alike, finished off the fallen enemy.

The pilot came through the compiece to let Cameron know they were out of ammunition and returning to the airfield. It would take 20 to 30 minutes to reload what was left of the ammunition for the gunship. At best he could make one more gun run if needed. Cameron acknowledged the message and continued her steady pace.

Return fire from the broken Skynet attack was intermittent as the TechCom force finished off the fallen survivors and continued to press the attack. As the attackers made their way through the kill zone, Cameron avoided looking down at the ground, covered in human and Terminator remains, often the two intermingled in death.

A roar went up from the TechCom force as the Skynet machines broke and fled. Catherine flew ahead like a Greyhound chasing a rabbit. Cameron slowed her pace and stopped, counting the survivors in her force. She was saddened by the numbers of wounds she saw in the people, but heartened by the fact they had held and thrown back a numerically superior force back, inflicting horrible casualties on their enemy.

Hailey and Ruth had stopped to set up the squad gun. Cameron watched her daughter cover her nose and mouth with one hand while trying to help Ruth. Annoyed by the inefficiency, Cameron hurried over to first help and then chastise the pair.

"What are you doing? Get this gun set up as quickly as possible, Private Connor."

"Mom, the smell is making me sick."

"The smell?"

"Mom, you can't smell the it?"

Cameron tilted her head while examining the settings on her olfactory sensors. Ruth looked at Cameron with her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Cameron, it's awful. You can smell burned electronics, hot steel and burned lubricants. Hailey can smell blood and the smell of burned flesh. The mixture of it all is just awful."

Resetting her sensors to their normal setting, Cameron wrinkled her own face in disgust, wincing as the pain sensors reminded her how bad her facial wound was.

"Ruth, give me the stapler in your first aid kit," Cameron monotoned.

Ruth handed the stapler to Cameron who carefully stapled the hanging flap of skin back, covering the exposed steel cheekbone and her upper jaw and teeth.

"Let me help with you hair," Ruth offered. Standing on her toes, she examined the side of Cameron's face where her long tresses were missing. The scalp was raw. It appeared a piece of shrapnel had sheared the first several layers of tissue off, taking Cameron's hair with it.

Combing Cameron's hair with her fingers, Ruth parted Cameron's hair in the middle, allowing the long hair to cover the side of her head. Reaching into her small pack, Ruth pulled out a black TechCom Infiltrator's uniform cap and carefully fitted it on Cameron's head. Stepping back to examine the temporary repairs, Ruth nodded with satisfaction.

"It will keep John from freaking out when we get back. You can calm him down a little before he stitches you up. It's going to be awhile till your scalp heals and your hair grows back I'm afraid."

"It'll be okay mom," Hailey encouraged. "You're always just as pretty when you heal."

Cameron didn't say a word in response, leaving the pair to cover the approach to the kill zone while the TechCom troops finished mopping up.

"Mom's upset," Hailey said softly.

"She shouldn't be," Ruth replied. "John won't love her any less. He won't be that angry with her."

"You're metal, why is mom upset?" Hailey demanded.

"I don't know, really," Ruth replied, shrugging. "I'm a liquid. Cameron's an endo. We're different in some ways."

 **100 Kilometers from the Abandoned Airbase…**

"Yes, General. That's what we saw," the pilot confirmed. He listened to John's reply carefully.

"Yes, sir. That won't be a problem. We'll need to land and refuel. You should hear our engine in about 20 minutes when we begin our approach. I'll radio ahead so the landing strip can be lighted for us."

The pilot handed the mike to his metal co-pilot to return to its resting spot.

"You're flying the next leg. I'm exhausted."

"What does the General want us to do?"

"We'll be flying a couple of wounded back to TechCom."

 **The Ambush…**

Cameron touched her face gently as she gazed the area. The small force had finished off the much larger Skynet force. Three chips had been pulled for examination from legless Terminators so badly damaged they were not a threat. No human Greys had survived. Counting the coward Catherine had dispatched, they had suffered three dead. Nearly everyone was wounded in someway.

The thought of her face having to regenerate yet another time worried Cameron. Her John always told her how beautiful she was, especially after the Sexbot paid him a visit. Terminators were not vain, or at least they weren't programmed that way. But she had come to like the attention John gave her looks. On the rare occasion that presented itself for Cameron to dress up, she had learned to enjoy "getting all girly" as Sarah called it.

Logically, Cameron knew John would get over being upset when he saw her face. The reaction would be one of anger and fear. Angry she had gotten injured and fear for her wellbeing and safety. Once her John knew she was functioning within parameters he would quickly calm down, he always did.

Though she would never tell her John, Cameron had come to enjoy the intimacy of his treating her wounds. The gentleness of how he touched her. The careful, painstaking suturing of her wounds and his insistence on the unnecessary cleaning and sterilization of the damaged tissue, it was a private experience for the couple. Cameron would replay the video later when John was asleep and enjoy the attention, the gentleness with which he took care of her.

She would have to wear an eye patch again when the expedition returned to TechCom City. Walking around the bunker with her unusual blue optic displayed for her family to see was one thing. Letting the people of TechCom see it was another. Especially if she lost her temper with some idiot and her eyes flashed red.

 _Perhaps I am becoming vain,_ she told herself. _What if my face does not heal completely? With each regeneration, it is taking a few hours longer for the process to complete._

Activating her compiece, Cameron ordered the NCOs to begin the withdrawal. Wilhelm and Lt. Dan acknowledged the order. Catherine indicated she would follow behind to make sure there were no survivors to follow them or report to Skynet.

Surveying the horrific scene of carnage, Cameron decided Hailey and Ruth were right. The smell was terrible. A quick check of her internal chronometer confirmed Cameron's time estimate. The entire firefight had lasted 11 minutes and 32 seconds.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Seventeen – Fragile**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Cessna Aircraft…**

In the distance to the north of the Cessna's approach the T-800 noticed a significant thermal difference to the west of the airfield. He nudged his sleeping human co-pilot.

"There has been a battle."

Straining in the direction the T-800 pointed, the human pilot could make out a faint glow in the pitch-black darkness.

"Let's hope our people won or we might be in for a hot landing."

Nodding in agreement the T-800 pointed at the radio, indicating he wanted his partner to call the airfield as they began their approach.

 **TechCom Skirmish – West of the Airfield…**

Catherine had rejoined the unit, informing Cameron all of the Skynet forces were dead. No wounded survivors were left behind to provide any details. Listening to Catherine's cold report, Cameron decided she liked the married, family oriented version of Catherine Weaver much better and told the T-1000 as much. To Cameron's surprise, the T-1000 agreed.

"It's not that I'm getting soft or my programming has changed Cameron. I simply have become more than just an infiltrator designed to kill. I have learned to enjoy caring for my family and serving as the city administrator. These are for more rewarding tasks for me to apply my skills to."

Wilhelm had sent two runners ahead to let John know they would be arriving with wounded and to have triage set up. There was going to be plenty to keep the few medics available busy.

 **The Airfield…**

John watched the Old Man vanish into the darkness to the west of the airfield. Two runners had arrived with mixed news. The Skynet forces had been defeated, wiped out completely. But they had to prepare for large numbers of wounded and there had been three fatalities. The news brought the morning's death total to four.

Savannah had spent the early hours of the morning converting the now empty hangar into a field hospital. Every medic and all of the expeditions medical supplies were ready and waiting.

Out of the darkness emerged the Old Man, shuffling in a hurry towards John who waited just outside the bright lights set up by the remaining engineers to light the hangar. The T-600 came to a halt, stood at attention and saluted the General and Savannah.

"Sir, everyone survived."

John returned the Old Man's salute, relieved. He understood what the tough old T-600 meant. Cameron had survived. Hailey had survived. Ruth was alive and so were Wilhelm, Catherine and Lt. Dan. Turning to look at Savannah, John saw the fear in the redhead's eyes.

"He means your Lt. survived. Your parents are okay."

Savannah nodded her understanding as her eyes filled with tears.

"It's okay," John told her.

"I hate this. I hate this."

"I hate it too, but save your rage for the enemy," John told her harshly. "Not your loved ones, do you understand?"

Taken aback by John's cruel words, Savannah gazed into the hard blue eyes of the man standing next to her. The man standing next to her was not the John Connor she had known for so many years, it was truly the hardened General of legend. His eyes were filled with pain, a pain formed from fear, hate and anguish. John suddenly seemed much older, as if the single short battle had somehow taken years off his life.

"If you can't save your rage for the enemy, then take it out on me. I'm the one who sent them into harms way. But whatever you do, do NOT take it out on them."

And then the General was gone, disappearing into the hangar. Stunned Savannah simply stood and watched as John spoke to each of the waiting TechCom personnel, encouraging them or making suggestions. Savannah had heard anger in John Connor's voice before. She had never heard self-loathing until that moment.

A cry for help captured Savannah's attention as the first of the returning troops came into the protective embrace of the lights. A T-800 held two struggling human troopers up, both bleeding from leg wounds. A pair of TechCom personnel hurriedly placed the human soldiers on liters and carried them away. Savannah stopped the T-800 and began examining him.

"You're wounded," she said firmly.

"11 punctures from bullets. I have internal damage in my posterior pelvic servomotor and I will need the left shoulder servomotor to be replaced."

"You got shot in the ass," Savannah said with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am. It's quite embarrassing."

"Head for the hangar. At a minimum we should get the bullets out tonight. Since you're ambulatory I'm afraid you'll have to wait till I can look at the servomotors."

The T-800 nodded but did not move.

"You're airborne," Savannah said, looking at the remains of the shoulder insignia.

"I serve in your father's personal squad," the T-800 said with a trace of pride.

Savannah sensed the Terminator wanted to ask her something but could not bring himself to do so. She thought of Wilhelm and realized what was troubling the machine.

"Your buddies will be okay. You'll jump together again, it will just be awhile."

The big warrior picked up the three assault rifles lying at his feet and shouldered them. Savannah had not noticed the troopers had been carrying their weapons. Without speaking another word, the T-800 made his way towards the hangar where she knew he would wait patiently and without complaining to be treated.

"Ma'am, where do we go?"

Savannah turned to see two of her brother's engineers holding up a rarity in TechCom, a female T-800. She was one of John Henry's favorite technicians and quite popular with the males of TechCom, both human and machine. Missing was the lower portion of her left arm and most of her right leg.

"Oh, dear," Savannah mumbled, examining the eyes with her penlight. "She's still conscious. Take her directly to the computer with logins setup and tell the technician I want her deactivated for transport."

Medics and engineers began greeting the troops as they came in. It was apparent Cameron had sent the most seriously injured ahead and those who had no injuries had covered the withdrawal. Nearly every individual was injured in some way.

Finally Savannah saw the huge bulking figure of her father in the distance, a glowing red ember indicating he was smoking a cigar. A clear sign the fight had ended in victory. Wilhelm would never have risked detection otherwise.

"Father?"

"Where's my little redhead?"

Wilhelm entered the light with his arms spread wide, a broad smile on his face as he puffed on his victory cigar. A frown quickly replaced his smile.

"What is wrong Savannah?"

"Your face! You've…"

"A little shrapnel. I've had worse. I'll have you know all of my joints are intact this time," he said playfully as he hugged his stepdaughter.

As the giant T-800 released her, Savannah felt a slippery substance on her hands. A quick glance confirmed her fear.

"You've been shot again!"

"It's nothing. Care for my men first. Catherine can sew me up."

"Where's mom?"

"I'm right here," a Scottish woman's voice replied. Catherine and Cameron both entered the lake of light, causing Savannah to gasp in horror.

"Cameron! Your…"

"I know. John will take care of me. Go and see your Lt. We're okay."

"Yes, go. Now shoo! Go and see your young man," Catherine ordered.

Wilhelm looked at his wife in concern.

"You will be okay?"

"Yes. I just need a small dose of new matrix. Cameron will take care of it. I just need privacy Wilhelm. Please, go, see to your men."

"Are you sure you'll be okay," Cameron asked with concern.

"Yes. Dr. Johnson told me this would happen. My matrix will never be as stable as a fourth generation T-1000 like Ruth. The combination of my early model, the built-in virus and the sheer number of gunshots I absorbed in the battle is a bit much for me."

Cameron led Catherine by the arm, skirting the light to allow Catherine privacy in case she lost control of her form. It took nearly ten minutes to walk the T-1000 to the Airborne HK where she had insisted a small, enclosed compartment be made for her.

Cameron helped Catherine lie down and get comfortable on the small reclining seat she used to travel and rest in. The T-1000 pointed at her travel bag. Cameron handed it to Weaver who fished around for a moment before extracting a small medical kit. Opening it, she took out the large syringe and handed it to Cameron.

"Strap me down first. I won't lose complete integrity of my form but I might lose some control over my finer features."

Doing as Catherine insisted, Cameron hurriedly strapped the slender redhead in. "Wilhelm may see me, but nobody else. I will be fine in 4-6 hours."

Without a word, Cameron injected Catherine with the small dose of restorative matrix. She watched as silver nodules raced beneath Catherine's skin as she injected the healthy matrix. Catherine shook in pain and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Cameron. Thank you for letting my keep my dignity. Please, shut the door behind you."

Cameron replaced the syringe in its case and stored it.

"Wilhelm will come and care for you," Cameron said softly. "Do not object. You are his purpose, he needs to be with you."

 **The Hangar…**

"Daddy!"

Relieved to hear his daughter's voice, John turned away from the pallet an injured infantryman lay on.

"Hailey, you were hit," John exclaimed.

"A scratch Daddy. Ruth made me wear her body armor over mine, not a comfortable fit I might add. Stopped the only round that would have really done any damage."

John examined the suture job on Hailey's left deltoid. "Your mother is gonna freak when she sees that suture job," John said calmly. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Do not tell your mother about getting hit in the vest. It's going to leave a bad bruise too, so don't let her see you without clothes on."

Hailey hugged her father, resting her face on his shoulder. He could feel moisture running from her eyes.

"You okay?"

"I don't have the shakes as bad this time. But Daddy, the smell…the sound…it was horrible."

"I know baby. I wish you never had to experience this. I would do anything to stop this if I could."

John held Hailey tight, not caring if any of his personnel saw the General holding his daughter.

"Daddy, that's enough. I'm okay now," Hailey said, letting go of John and standing upright. "Time for you to be the General and me to be the private."

"Is Ruth okay?" John asked, changing the subject.

"She's helping Savannah."

"Where's your mother?"

"Dad, mom's okay."

Suspicious, John frowned at Hailey. "Private Connor, where is Commander Connor?"

Hailey shrugged and looked away.

"She's been injured hasn't she?"

"Mom's taking care of Miss Catherine. She's a tough old bird Dad. I saw her take down a T-800 packing a M-60. She took about ten or twelve rounds in the center mass. Put a finger right through his eye. Lights out, chip gone."

"Where is your mother?" John demanded again, ignoring Hailey's attempt at changing the subject.

"Dad, promise you will not get mad. Mom's really scared this time."

"Is it her power cell? Did she take a penetrating round in her chest plate?"

"No." Hailey touched her father's forearm gently to communicate her concern. "It's her face. She's afraid it won't regenerate completely this time."

"So she has a scar, it's not like I don't have plenty of them."

"Dad, the right side of her head is raw, her ear is gone. So is her hair. She stapled her cheek back together and she's got a blue eye again."

Hailey watched as John sank down to the ground, covering his face with his hands. She could hear the faint sound of her father's sobs over the din of the hangar. Gently, Hailey took her father's hands in hers and pulled him to his feet. Taking John by his right hand she led him further back into the shadows of the hangar.

"Dad, it will be okay. Mom's still all there," Hailey said, tapping her skull. "She's not as tough as she likes to make out. Tell her she's pretty and she'll be okay."

"Tell her she's pretty?"

"Dad, I threw up when she left me and Ruth to pack up the squad gun. It's the worse ever. She's afraid, you know, you won't want her."

"Hailey, I would never leave Cameron for any reason," John snapped, his voice tinged with anger.

"Hey, don't get mad at me Dad. You know and I know how freaky Mom can get sometimes. She just needs to know she's still pretty. It's a girl thing okay? Doesn't matter if it makes any sense or not to you Dad. That's what Mom needs to hear."

John pulled Hailey close and squeezed his daughter tight. "You're right, you're exactly right Hailey. Cameron needs to hear what she needs to hear and I need to be the one to tell her."

Hailey hugged her father until he released her. She stepped back and looked up at the man so many people feared and smiled at him.

"Dad, what can I do to make things easier for your right this minute?"

"Find Major Wilhelm for me. I want to get everyone and everything out of here in two hours."

 **Two hours later…**

"General, we just cannot get it done any quicker," Wilhelm insisted.

"What's the delay?"

"The refueling. It simply cannot be rushed. You can only pump fuel so fast and we can only fuel one HK at a time," Wilhelm explained for the third time.

"Just get it done," John snapped. He turned to see Savannah waiting for him.

"The Assassin and the brunette T-800 have been loaded on the Cessna for transport along with two seriously wounded human personnel. One medic is going to accompany them to make sure they remain stable."

John looked at the two pilots. "Are you ready to depart?"

"We can leave as soon as you give the order."

"Do you need lights on the runway?"

"No, I will be flying," the T-800 replied.

"Then what are you waiting for, get our people home," John ordered.

The pilots came to attention and saluted. John snapped off a salute and turned to find Lt. Dan. The young junior officer was waiting with the scout who had not been wounded. Ruth, two engineers and four airborne were waiting as well.

"This is who you have selected," John asked.

"Yes, General. For the job you have tasked us, I need a scout and an infiltrator. Miss Catherine has to go back for medical treatment. Ruth is our only other infiltrator. The engineers will take care of the communication equipment and sensors. My airborne will provide the firepower and I hope we don't need it."

John looked at the two human airborne troopers and the two T-800s. Both had the rugged look of hardened fighters.

"Take very good care of my sister or my mother will terminate both of us, is that clear Lt?"

"Yes sir."

"If you don't mind, I would like a moment alone with my sister," John said firmly, leaving little doubt the others were to grant his request.

Lt. Dan saluted and motioned to his men to pick up their equipment and begin making their way towards the hangar doors.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I volunteered John."

"Ruth, I …."

"John, it's the burden our family has to carry. The Lt. needs an infiltrator. A T-1000 is better than a human infiltrator, even Mom."

Ruth hugged John. "Tell Mom and Dad I'll be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. They raised me right and I've been trained for this since I was little. I mean, c'mon John, I'm a T-1000, it's what we do."

"No, the little T-1000 I know draws sketches and likes human boys."

"She does," Ruth replied, looking up at her brother. "But she protects Hailey too. This is the best way right now I can do that."

John tussled his little sisters black hair, causing her to frown before morphing her hair back to its neat appearance. He let go of Ruth, stepped back, came to attention and saluted. Ruth snapped to attention and saluted her brother. Without another word, she picked up her backpack and shouldered it before readying her assault rifle. John watched as Ruth followed the rest of the staybehind group and vanished into the black void beyond the safety of the pool of white light.

"John?"

Ice chilled his spine, making John go rigid. He'd not seen Cameron yet and knew he had to handle this moment carefully.

He turned to face his wife and his heart nearly broke as he did so. Cameron stood before him looking down at her feet, holding Ruth's black infiltrator cap in both hands. A white swatch of bandages was wrapped around her head, covering the raw exposed flesh of the right side of her head. The staples holding her cheek together were clearly visible, all five of them. Hailey had been right. It was the worse wound to her face Cameron had ever received.

"We are nearly ready to depart. Everything is loaded. The last HK is nearly done refueling."

John nodded in response.

"The staybehinds have left?"

"Yes."

"Did you say good bye to Ruth?"

"Yes. Mom is going to kill me."

"Sarah will only be angry. She will not terminate you," Cameron monotoned.

John approached his wife slowly until he was inches from her. He took the cap from her hands and shoved it in the pocket of his jacket. With both hands, he gently placed his fingers underneath Cameron's chin and tilted her face upwards.

As he viewed the damage up close, John succeed in keeping the horror from filling his face, but he failed at controlling the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Oh, my pretty, pretty wife," he whispered gently. "It's a good think the first hop is going to be a short one for the wounded's sake."

Puzzled, Cameron titled her head, asking John to explain.

"I can't do a proper job of taking care of you when the HK is bouncing around from turbulence."

"John," Cameron started and stopped.

"It's okay. This is private time, just between the two of us. I will not have it violated."

Tears began to run from Cameron's good eye.

"Nobody is ever to see my wife without clothes on. I have three bullets to remove and three wounds to suture. Then they have to be cleaned and bandaged properly."

"I don't get infections," Cameron insisted halfheartedly.

"Irrelevant," John said firmly. "Only the best care for my girl."

He kissed Cameron first on her nose, then her lips and finally on her damaged cheek. "Then, I'm going to take my time repairing your cheek. First, I'm going to clean everything. Then you're going to get my best ever suture work. Then we're going to clean your scalp wound and bandage it."

"I'm sorry John."

"Nothing to be sorry for. They would have been overrun without your leadership Commander. You're getting a decoration for what you did."

Cameron looked down at her feet again, letting her feeling of insecurity fill the space around her.

"You are always going to be my wife. The only woman I ever take into my bed. I want you to know that," he whispered lovingly as he took her gently in his arms.

"I love you and you love me."

Cameron smiled and laid her damaged cheek on her husband's shoulder.

"I love you and you love me," she replied.

Taking his wife's hand, John led Cameron to their Command & Control HK and helped her climb into the troop bay. He followed her and watched while the Old Man secured the door.

"Are all personnel accounted for?" he asked the T-600.

Hailey is strapped in. All personnel accounted for," the cranky old metal replied, picking up the family's dog and clutching it to his chestplate.

"Ruth will be fine," John assured the protector. "She's one of the best."

"I know," the T-600 replied. "But I don't have to like it."

John arched his eyebrows in surprise as the Old Man's attitude, watching the T-600 make his way over to Hailey where he promptly handed Sammy to Hailey before sitting down and strapping himself in. Sammy squirmed out of Hailey's grasp and settled down in the lap of the family's protector.

John left the troop bay and made his way into the command center. Cameron had strapped herself in and was looking out the viewport. John collapsed into the seat next to her and strapped himself in. As the whine of the turbines indicated the HK was about to take off, John reached for his wife's hand.

He intertwined his fingers with Cameron's delighting in how small, and petite her hand was. It never failed to amaze him how feminine she was and yet so strong, so deadly.

"John?"

"Yes, Cameron?"

"I've never told you this before, but I want to now."

John's face filled with concern. Surprises from Cameron could just as easily be a nightmare as something positive.

Without turning to look at her husband, Cameron spoke in her soft monotone. "I fear one day I will not regenerate, that I will scar."

"It won't matter to me," John reassured her quickly.

"I don't like the idea," Cameron replied. "Terminators are not supposed to be vain, but I think it's something we can learn."

Wondering where Cameron was headed with this revelation, John tilted his head in confusion.

Cameron glanced at him. "Catherine can be vain you know."

John laughed in agreement.

"Ruth can be vain too."

"Not Ruth," John protested.

"Yes, Ruth. I'm afraid its largely Hailey's influence. Ruth has become very concerned about proper support garments so the "girls" can be displayed effectively. That is Hailey's doing. She is more careful in how she morphs the application of makeup as well. Derek has commented."

"I hadn't noticed," John muttered.

"She's your sister. That's to be expected."

Cameron looked away. "I am afraid I've developed a touch of vanity too. I like being pretty for my husband. I like the way you look at me."

"Cameron…"

"Please, no. I needed to say it. And I have something else to tell you. When you care for my wounds, it is a very private, intimate experience for me. I never minded Sarah watching and Derek was not a problem because to him I was just a soldier getting treatment. But the way you treated me always made me feel good. Special."

John didn't know what to say. He just looked at his wife.

Cameron turned the chair to face John.

"It is a very intimate experience for me. It always has been. Nobody but you ever touched me with kindness. The way you insist on cleansing each wound, suturing it carefully despite the fact I could do it myself and it would heal just as quickly."

Cameron smiled at John, touching his cheek with her right hand.

"If I didn't have to get shot, which upsets you, I would like this experience to be more frequent."

"I think I'll take a pass Cameron," John said firmly.

She smiled, stroking his cheek.

"I just wanted you to know. When Riley," Cameron paused for a moment, "when Riley was between us, the gentleness, the intimacy is what kept me from snapping again. It gave me hope that you would choose me. I know I was crazy then, but it's the truth."

"You just scanned me, didn't you?" John said accusingly.

"Yes, I did," Cameron laughed. "My husband takes care of me. I have to take care of him."

"So, this intimacy thing when I stitch you up, please tell me you don't prefer that to sex to you?"

"John! You are such a male," Cameron exclaimed, pushing John back into his seat while placing a pronounced pouting expression on her face.

"You're worrying me, seriously," John replied. "Intimacy is important to me too. I just, don't like the idea of you getting hurt so we can be intimate."

Cameron's face became blank and she tilted her head.

"I love sex with you. You have improved greatly as a lover," Cameron paused to place her finger on John's lips, hushing him. "Not that you were ever inadequate. I love the touching afterwards even more."

Cameron took her finger from John's lips and smiled lovingly at him.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"My husband has made me feel pretty again. I will be fine."

Cameron watched as John blushed. She tilted her head to indicate she was puzzled by his reaction.

"I, uh, I would like to find a way for us to experience the kind of intimacy you feel when I take care of your wounds. Just without the you getting wounded part. Not just to, you know get more sex, but, I'm not explaining this right," John sighed.

"I think you did so just fine. Thank you for explaining."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Eighteen – The Voyuer**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Cessna – Airborne…**

Turbulence bounced the small aircraft for the umpteenth time, eliciting groans from the two wounded soldiers.

"My apologies," the T-800 pilot monotoned. "I simply cannot avoid turbulence."

"It's okay," the medic replied. "Just get us to TechCom as fast as you can."

"Six more hours and we'll be there," the co-pilot informed the medic, hoping his time estimate was correct and nothing would go wrong en route.

 **TechCom Staybehind Force…**

Ruth watched in silence, fuming, as the scout made his way from the Wastelands into Gold Beach. Lt. Dan wanted to sweep the town before making their way south of the community to observe the approach on Oregon State Highway 101. The report of an approaching convoy made the need to sweep the town quickly a priority.

She had volunteered to go in first only to have her offer politely declined. The scout was good, one of the very best TechCom had to offer for clandestine work. But he had the distinct disadvantage of being human. If cornered, he simply could not camouflage himself by morphing into something else, nor could he assume another identity and infiltrate to gather data.

It was because she was a girl. Or metal. Or both. It infuriated Ruth either way. Half of the airborne was metal and Lt. Dan was airborne. One of the engineers in the group was metal, and a geeky nerd like John Henry no less. A good, well-trained human soldier was more deadly than that Terminator. As she sat fuming, Ruth decided Lt. Dan had not sent her to recon because she was a female.

 _He should know better. Cameron is as fierce and capable as they come. So is my Mom and she's human. Catherine is not bad for a Model One T-1000, she can still terminate with the best TechCom has to offer._

Annoyed with the Lt, Ruth watched as he waited. Other than blinking his eyes and the ever so faint rise and fall of his chest, the Lt. was totally motionless. Only a Terminator would be able to detect his presence and only then by using infrared heat imaging. He was good Ruth begrudgingly admitted to herself.

Bored, she began taking measurements to sketch the Lt, giving herself something to do to pass the time. As she observed the officer, Ruth decided he was handsome. She could see why Savannah had taken an interest in the Lt.

Ruth shook her head as she deleted the measurement data. Nothing good could come of thinking things like that. Competing for a male intimidated Ruth, something that infuriated Hailey. Nor could she ever share that fact with her mother Sarah. Connor-Reese women were not supposed to be intimidated by anyone, especially another female.

Sarah had told her Cameron's Riley issues were different. When the neurotic behavior had developed, Cameron was damaged and under the influence of her base Skynet code. Plus, her brother John had been a complete ass to Cameron making it partially his fault as well.

"He should have known better. Of all people, John understands Terminators better than any human alive. Cameron was developing her emotions and it was a horrible time for her," Sarah had explained.

Ruth understood Cameron's insecurities. Cameron was a beautiful female. One of the most beautiful females in all of TechCom, just like Sarah. Despite this fact, both of them felt vulnerable at times and needed reassurance from their husbands. Needing to know they loved her, she had eavesdropped on her parent's pillow talk more than once.

While it reassured Ruth when she was younger to hear her parents discussing their plans for her education or how to deal with her next matrix growth treatment, it had dismayed her initially to learn Sarah needed Derek's reassurance. Sometimes he had to calm her over the most mundane matters. Other times Sarah had terrifying nightmares and Derek would spend the remainder of the night calming her, reminding her she was in a safe place.

As Ruth had matured and suffered the typical growing pains of young love all teenage girls experience, she had learned relationships were hard, difficult work. Nobody was perfect. Nor was any relationship perfect. She loved her father, but for the life of her Ruth could not understand why he brooded so much at times. Sarah simply explained it away as a bad memory day and to give him his space.

When she had asked Derek why her mother was so moody and fearful in the privacy of their bunker but so bold and defiant in public, he had laughed, telling her Sarah was just as moody in public. He'd grown somber then and hugged Ruth, telling her he hoped she never understood why her mother was the way she was.

"She loves you little one," he had told her. "You represent something very special to your mother. A second chance at doing things right."

Over the years Ruth had learned what her father had meant and come to accept being a second chance was not a bad reason for her mother to have adopted her. Sarah's defiance made Ruth feel secure. Nobody in TechCom dared to question Ruth's membership in the Connor-Reese Clan. She belonged in her family, despite the feeling at times she did not belong in TechCom. Even her own species was wary of her at times.

Miss Catherine had been helpful in that regard, telling Ruth in her cold, arrogant manner, "most endoskeleton Terminators are inferior models when compared to a T-1000 Ruth. John's Cameron and my Wilhelm and John Henry are among the few examples that deserve to be viewed as equals by you and me." Noticing the sudden sadness on the younger T-1000's face, Weaver amended her statement. "Of course, your protector the Old Man is somewhat inferior in design, lacking proper camouflage ability, but more than makes up for it execution of his duties. As you will learn, it is so difficult to find suitable servants and employees."

It was a complicated world she lived in Ruth had decided. Made more so for her because she had emotions like humans but was a liquid metal. Ruth identified with her Terminator coding and abilities yet felt and experienced the world as a human would in so many different ways. Like Cameron, Ruth had no desire to be human. But, also like her brother's wife, Ruth yearned for a human mate.

A single click on her compiece pulled Ruth's CPU back to the single task of monitoring the area. Lt. Dan gave the signal for the group to move out and enter the town to begin the sweep. Ruth watched as the Lt. stood slowly and took the first tentative step to lead the patrol. She smiled as she noticed his firm, muscular backside. Chagrined at doing so, Ruth instantly deleted the data from her hard drive.

 **TechCom Expedition…**

The landing site reminded Savannah of a documentary she remembered on beehives. Personnel hurried about, all with a specific task to accomplish for the welfare of the hive.

Torn over the inner conflict she felt about the Lt, Savannah decided a talk with Cameron was in order. Catherine, despite being well intentioned, saw the situation through the lens of a T-1000 who desired to experience being a grandmother. Like Sarah, Catherine had amends to make as a parent and was fixated on a grandchild to provide her the opportunity to prove to herself and Savannah she could be a loving grandmother. For a T-1000, Savannah reminded herself. No, her mother was not who she needed to talk to.

Nor could Savannah approach her stepfather. Wilhelm was wonderful in guiding Savannah in how to deal with Catherine, a task he himself struggled with. He was also insightful in many of the challenges Savannah had to deal with as the Chief of Terminator Medicine for TechCom. But when it came to the Lt, he was more difficult than her mother.

Dan's Prussian lineage and the fact Wilhelm viewed him as the eventual combat leader of his beloved Airborne command prevented him from considering any other possible match for Savannah. Wilhelm generally viewed life as a male's male, a proud warrior who existed to serve his General, to protect his family and community and as Catherine put it, "to engage in beastly male behavior with his male equals."

Savannah had come to realize Catherine admired the fact Wilhelm was an alpha male and consorted with the male leaders of TechCom. It was one of the things she needed in a mate. So long as Wilhelm didn't engage in the behavior at home and erased any evidence of having done so in the company of his peers, she was perfectly content to allow him his time with other males.

John Henry was hopeless. He existed to design and build TechCom City. Savannah loved her time with her metal brother, but he was socially inept and had no desire to learn to be otherwise. Savannah smiled at the thought. It was the one thing about John Henry that frustrated Catherine, causing her mother guilt over the matter. Catherine could argue her failures as Savannah's mother were due to being a T-1000. She had no such excuse with John Henry.

That left Cameron. She needed to mend fences with her friend and sharing her issues about Dan would be a good way to start the process. Besides, Savannah told herself, if anyone understood being insecure and competing for the man you wanted, it was Cameron.

Looking about to make sure nobody noticed, Savannah climbed aboard the Command & Control HK. She'd made sure the damaged Terminators were taken care of and had free time. Cameron would not be out and about until her John had repaired her face and made Cameron feel presentable to her troops.

Wishing not to be seen or heard, Savannah slowly made her way through the troop bay and went up the steps to the Command Center. She paused at the top, surprised to see John present, sitting in one of the command seats with a table set next to him.

Savannah watched as Cameron, sitting in a chair across from John pulled her boots off one at a time. Then she removed her socks, stuffing one in each boot. Curious at as to what she was witnessing, Savannah remained motionless and silent, just as her parents had insisted she practice.

With her boots off, Cameron stood and walked slowly over to face John. Methodically she began unbuttoning her uniform tunic, starting at the top and working down to her belt. John gently unbuckled her belt and eased her pants down several inches, allowing the tails of her tunic to escape. Cameron finished unbuttoning her tunic while John looked up at her.

Cameron lowered her arms to her side and allowed the tunic to slide down and fall to the floor. Still watching John's face, Cameron reached behind her back and unfastened the plain white lace bra, stained with her blood, allowing it to fall to the floor. Reaching down to waist of her pants, Cameron wiggled seductively, pushing the pants down past her thighs before letting them fall to her ankles and stepping out of the pants.

Savannah gasped silently as Cameron stood before John wearing nothing more than a pair of white cotton panties. Horrified she was witnessing the seduction of her commanding officer and friend, violating the privacy of the couple, Savannah wanted to leave. But like any horrible incident about to happen, Savannah found herself morbidly fascinated, unable to pull away and leave the couple to their privacy.

To her surprise, John did not touch Cameron in a sexual way. He touched the gruesome entry wound on Cameron's right thigh, a bloody mess Savannah had somehow not noticed. He first swabbed the area with anti-septic, to which Cameron protested gently with a smile. John looked up as his wife with a smile, and ignored her protest, continuing the process of cleaning the wound.

Taking a probe, he took his time removing three fragments of the steel jacketed round that had done the damage. Cameron assured him he had found all of the offending fragments and her leg would self-repair the remaining damage. John repeated the process of cleaning the wound and then carefully sutured the wound. To finish the task, he gently bandaged Cameron.

Taking her hand, John smiled and guided Cameron into the seat she had occupied when removing her boots. He repeated the process, again ignoring Cameron's protest over the cleaning process, causing Savannah to look at the faces of the two. John's face was filled with concern and something more. He loved his wife and his act of caring for her wounds was deeply personal.

A glance at Cameron's face gave Savannah an insight into Cameron. John's medically necessary act was deeply personal for her as well. John's insistence on being the one to treat her wounds, to clean and sterilize them as if she were a human patient and the time and gentleness with which he went about the task meant something deeply personal to her.

Cameron sat with her head tilted and left arm raised as John sutured the ugly wound in her side by her left breast. The act was completely non-sexual, yet Savannah felt a sense of voyeuristic shame watching the intimacy between the married couple.

Finished with the second wound, John quickly repaired the third bullet wound, a simple puncture in Cameron's left forearm. She giggled for a second at John's comment the wound might repair her well-known nervous glitch.

John stood up. Taking Cameron's face in his hands, he tilted her head back and looked down in her eyes, one a beautiful brown and the other her unique blue optic sensor. He removed the bandages covering her raw side of her head and examined the flesh, commenting it was not nearly as bad as it looked, the ear and the regrowth of her hair would be the time consuming portion of the regeneration.

Again the pair engaged in their ritual of John starting to clean the wound and Cameron protesting the unnecessary procedure. Again, John ignored her and Cameron let a faint smile form on her lips.

Finished with her scalp, John moved on to the most horrific of Cameron's wounds, her face. With a pair of staple cutters, he removed the surgical staples Cameron had used to pull the flap of flesh that had been her face back and hold it in place.

Cameron sat completely still, looking ahead as John trimmed the edges of the damaged piece of flesh, removing the ugly, torn edges. This time Cameron did not object as John gently cleaned her eye socket, steel cheek, upper and lower jaw and the servo area. He even cleaned her teeth and teased Cameron she needed to floss better on her back teeth, a barb that elicited a sharp snapping of her teeth as she tried playfully to bite him, allowing him remove his fingers just in time.

Familiar with the physical construction of Cameron's facial structure, Savannah watched with professional interest as John reattached the flesh. Beneath the outer layer of synthetic tissue lay the dozens of tiny facial servos that allowed Cameron to control her facial movements, to convey emotions whether real or generated by her infiltration program. It was a painstaking process and John took his time.

Finally, he sutured the edges of the huge wound and once gain began the ritual cleaning process. Testing control of her facial movements, Cameron smiled at him. Then she frowned and finally she pouted.

John laughed at Cameron and told her it was his best repair yet. She was still his beautiful TOK. Cameron beamed at his words and kissed John. Admonishing her to not get shot in the face again, John began rummaging in his medical kit. Cameron sat with her knees together and her hands in her lap, appearing very ladylike except for the fact she was naked but for her panties.

Setting the results of his search down on the table, John first neatly applied a bandage to her open scalp wound and missing ear. Carefully he combed Cameron's hair with his fingers, covering the wound. If one did not look too closely and from a distance, the wound was not noticeable Savannah decided.

Next, John pulled out butterfly sutures and applied them to the wound on his wife's face. It was purely cosmetic, but undoubtedly made Cameron feel better about the wound. Finally, he taped a patch over her blue optic, causing Cameron to frown momentarily.

"What's wrong," John asked.

"It's okay, it just took me a few seconds longer than normal to adjust my vision to a single optic sensor."

John nodded and vanished from sight for a moment. He returned carrying clothes. Cameron immediately curled her nose up and shook her head no as she held up a loose fitting pair of cargo black cargo pants.

John took the pants from her and sat down in the chair opposite and began slipping her legs one at a time into the pant legs. Still frowning, Cameron stood and pulled the pants up to her waist and fastened them. It was evident John wanted Cameron to wear the loose fitting pants so the wound on her leg would not be irritated by tight pants rubbing on the wound. He pulled the belt from her other pants and handed it to Cameron who slowly fitted the belt into the loops, making a display of her displeasure at the pants she was being required to wear.

The pout turned into a smile when John handed Cameron a too large purple cotton t-shirt. He helped her slip it over her head and get her arms in through the sleeves. Cameron sat back down and to Savannah's surprise; John put first her socks on and then her boots.

Finally, John produced what Savannah recognized as the black uniform cap of Sarah's infiltrators and gently helped Cameron put the cap on. With her new attire, Cameron looked much better. The couple slipped their arms around each other and gazed into the eyes of the other before kissing.

Cameron began cleaning up the area as John grabbed his jacket. Savannah realized now was not only the time to depart quickly, it was not the right time to talk to about her love life problems with Cameron.

Jumping down from the troop bay, Savannah wandered off towards the medical area to see if there was anything that needed her attention. While she examined a twitching foot of a T-888, Savannah felt both shame and a sense of wonder at the private moment she had stolen a glimpse of.

Never again would she ever question General John Connor's devotion to Cameron or the people of TechCom. No man could treat Cameron the way he had without a soul filled with compassion.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Nineteen – Can You Come Home?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Airfield/Hangar Complex…**

Derek watched as the last of the four Cessna's rolled down the approach to the elevator that would take it down into the underground hangar complex. The pilot centered the aircraft's nose on the elevator and slowed stopped the engine. Two ground crew appeared and placed newly made chocks under the wheels, preventing the plane from moving as it was lowered into the underground hanger.

"Thanks for letting me watch," Derek told the security officer. He left the security viewing room and made his way through the tunnel to the hangar in time to see the elevator stop, the chocks removed and the plane towed to its assigned bay in the hangar.

The door to the cabin opened and the T-800 pilot climbed out. Derek watched as medical personnel hurried to the small prop plane. Within minutes the two injured human passengers had been placed on gurneys and were hurried towards the underground train that would carry the wounded and their medics to the main city complex.

Two more medical personnel took their time as the female T-800 and the Assassin were carefully offloaded for transport to the medical complex. Derek watched as the damaged Terminators were rolled towards a second waiting train.

"Tough flight," he asked the pilot.

"It was a good thing I am not human," was the monotone response. "Difficult to fly with that much turbulence when flying only by instruments."

"Oh, don't listen to him," the human pilot huffed as he climbed from the plane. "He seems to forget it was us mere mortal humans who figured out how to build and fly these things."

Derek smiled as the pair quickly descended into insulting each other, a good sign the pair worked well together.

"Let me interrupt you two," Derek interjected. "Any word from the General?"

"They will be here in two or three days," the human pilot retired. "They will be flying as direct a path as possible, making short hops so the wounded don't suffer too much from the turbulence."

"Anything else?"

The pilot looked at his metal partner and shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"Just tell me," Derek said firmly.

"A staybehind party was deployed," the pilot replied.

"Let me guess, Ruth stayed," Derek informed the pilot.

"Yes, sir."

Derek looked at the pilot and shook his head. It served no sense to lose his temper with the man. It was John he was angry with.

"You're just the bearer of bad news. Head to your quarters and make sure you don't run into my wife."

"Yes, Colonel. Thank you sir."

The two pilots grabbed their gear and hurried to catch the train carrying the two damaged Terminators.

Derek watched the two pilots depart before muttering to himself. "You better hope my little girl makes it home John."

 **Oregon – The Town of Gold Beach…**

Finished with the sweep, the TechCom party had moved to the southern edge of town. The Skynet forces had abandoned their vehicles to mass all of their forces for the ill-fated assault. Satchel charges had been hidden in each of the trucks, wired to the ignition. A little surprise for whoever started the vehicles.

The group headed south, avoiding the highway while making towards a rise in the distance that would allow them to observe the approach of the Skynet convoy traveling northwards towards Gold Beach.

Ruth remained calm as the scout took point and led the group towards the rise. Annoyed to have been requested for the staybehind group and not utilized, she decided to make her feelings known at the first opportunity confront the Lt. in private. She'd learned long ago when dealing with two parents as stubborn and potentially difficult as hers it was always preferable to not have witnesses. It worked with Sarah and Derek. It should work with the Lt. More than once Ruth had been able to negotiate her way when her parents felt they could change their minds in private. Ruth smiled. Especially when she could keep the other from knowing what the other parent had already decided. Invariably, she would be caught, but she and Hailey would have had their fun.

At kilometer outside of town, the group stopped while the two engineers with two of the airborne accompanying hurriedly set a land mine in the road. Several anti-personnel mines were set before the group returned. Sometime in the next 24 hours the convoy would arrive. Ruth smiled at the thought of the little surprises waiting for Skynet's minions.

As she watched, Ruth wondered what Hailey was doing. She smiled at the thought of Hailey, bored to tears no doubt after being confined to the troop bay for two days without Ruth to entertain her. The Old Man was probably ready to dangle Hailey outside the jump hatch. Fighting the urge to laugh aloud, Ruth put aside her thoughts of Hailey. Danger was everywhere and Ruth could not afford to not be alert in the here and now.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"Derek Reese, if this is your idea of a joke, I'm not seeing the humor."

Derek sat on the edge of Sarah's desk, watching his wife pace angrily in her office.

"Honey, you know John wouldn't have let her stay if she wasn't up to the job. They need a T-1000 in the staybehind."

"Catherine could have stayed," Sarah shouted.

"Look, I'll be the first to wring John's neck if something happens to Ruth," Derek promised. "But it makes sense. Catherine is needed here. If I have to sign one more requisition form for toilet paper or approve the use of ten feet of copper wire, I'm going to go Terminator on someone."

"So!" Sarah protested. "That has nothing to do with our baby girl!"

"It has everything to do with it, Sarah," Derek replied firmly.

He watched as his wife stopped to fold her arms across her chest and lean against the wall, her forehead touching the newly painted drywall. Derek knew she was crying. Cautiously, he approached Sarah and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Skynet is on the move. We've had a long break and we should be thankful for that. Ruth was made, literally made, for assignments like this one. Sarah, she's one of your infiltrators. You've trained her for this. We raised our little girl to not shirk her duty. It's far too late now to change the person she is."

"She volunteered didn't she? Why would she do that?"

Derek sighed as Sarah turned to face him, hitting him on his chest.

"Because she's one of us. For better or worse, Ruth is one of us."

 **TechCom Command & Control HK…**

Hailey had never been so sick of anything in her life. She'd snuck up into the Command Center, leaving the Old Man to deal with an airsick Sammy on his own. Bored to tears without Ruth for company, she had sought the company of her parents. Upon entering the Command Center, she had found her parents sitting in one of the chairs facing the viewing port.

John was buckled in and asleep. Her mother wore only a purple t-shirt while curled up in her father's lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Folded neatly in the chair next to them was a pair of black cargo pants and her mother's boots. Hailey noticed the ugly wound on Cameron's thigh had turned bright red but was no longer swollen.

Looking at the side of her mother's head, she could see the beginnings of a new earlobe regenerating. Short stubble resembling two or three day's growth of John's beard covered the pinkish skin of her scalp. Cameron's face was still a mess and would be for sometime still.

Hailey realized Cameron was asleep as well as her blue optic sensor was a dark black, emitting no energy. It was rare for Hailey to see her parents resting together and even more rare for to see her mother in maintenance mode. She quietly moved the pair of pants and her mother's boots to the floor and strapped herself into the chair next to them.

As she stared out through the viewport at the black night of their world, Hailey grew weary of it all. Always in a hurry to grow up. Always in a hurry to have fun. Always in a hurry to have an adventure. Hailey decided it was time to stop being in such a hurry.

Hailey would never forget the sights, sounds and smells of the two firefights she'd been in. Agent Ellison's frustration with the students in school made a lot more sense now. They really did need to know everything they were being taught. You simply did not know what fact would make the difference in survival and death, victory or defeat.

The Old Man's constant paranoia and insistence on being prepared and cautious that had gotten on her nerves didn't seem so outlandish now. So did the burden her parents carried, her family and their closest friends.

Looking out into the void as the HK made its way south to their home, Hailey hoped Ruth was okay. She thought of the prayers Father Hidalgo had taught her in Sunday school and prayed. She prayed for Ruth's safety and her family, that they would have the strength to bear the burdens given to them.

Cameron stirred and looked at the figure sitting in the chair next to her and John. For a moment she panicked until she realized the figure was Hailey. Cameron stretched her legs, a behavior she had learned without realizing, watching the human members of her family unconsciously engage in stretching when first waking up. Hailey, like Sarah, was one of the few humans alive who could get that close to Cameron and not arouse her from Terminator sleep.

Carefully, Cameron rose from her John's lap and silently moved to stand behind her daughter. Cameron ran her fingers through Hailey's unkempt hair, gently working out several of the tangles.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Hailey."

"I'm sorry for being so much trouble."

"I was trouble for Sarah, and your father. It's part of life."

"Trouble for Derek too," Hailey reminded her mother.

"Derek too," Cameron agreed.

"Did Ruth have to stay behind?"

"She volunteered."

"Why, mom?"

"Catherine can no longer serve on long patrols of that nature. Lt. Dan needed a T-1000. It was her duty."

"I don't like being without Ruth," Hailey said somberly.

"I know you don't," Cameron whispered as she continued combing her daughter's hair with her fingers. "I miss her too. She limits the trouble you get into."

"Mom!"

"It's true Hailey Connor," Cameron said with a smile on her face. Hailey frowned at the reflection of her mother smiling in the viewport window.

"She'll be okay, won't she?"

"Hailey, she's a Connor-Reese. Ruth's a survivor just like everyone in her clan. Of course she'll be okay."

Hailey closed her eyes and enjoyed the comforting sensation of her mother touching her hair.

Minutes passed. Hailey raised her hand, taking Cameron's in her own. "I love you Mom. I'm glad you found me in the rubble. I would never want to be a part of any other family."

Hailey heard her mother gasp. She felt Cameron's hand flinch ever so slightly in her hand. A pleasant warmth spread through Hailey's chest. It was rare moment when her mother ever showed emotion other than anger to anyone but John.

"How are my two favorite girl's doing," a sleepy John grumbled. Hailey unfastened her harness and climbed into her father's lap.

"Whoa, aren't you a little big for that?" John protested.

"Mom's not too big for that," Hailey responded as she settled comfortably in her new seat. Cameron smiled at a slightly embarrassed John for a second before sitting down in the chair next to John. She raised her legs and gently placed them on John's knees as she buckled herself in.

 **South of the Town of Gold Beach…**

Ruth watched as the lead vehicle approached the land mine. The engineers had set the device with a delayed fuse. The mine would not go off until the fifth vehicle passed over it. As she counted the vehicles, Ruth was delighted to see the fifth vehicle was a tanker, hopefully one still laden with fuel.

A brilliant white and yellow light raced upwards to the sky as the tanker erupted in flames. Her olfactory sensors picked up the smell of burning fuel. Greys and Terminators crawled forth from the Bradley like angry ants stirred from their next. Within seconds the sounds of the anti-personnel mines went off followed by the screams of the wounded and dying Greys and the thrashing movements of the now legless Terminators.

In horror Ruth watched as a T-888 approached the injured Skynet forces and shot each once in the head. The screams stopped, as did the thrashing movement.

Each member of the staybehind party took note of the summary execution. General John Connor would never let that happen in TechCom. John Connor had many faults. Lack of concern for his personnel was not one of them.

 **TechCom City Airfield…**

Not to be deterred, Sarah stood waiting impatiently on the runway as the three HK's made their approach. She watched as the Airborne HK landed first, followed by the Gunship and finally the Command & Control HK. Ground crews rushed to the jump hatches to unload the wounded and damaged personnel.

Sarah marched purposefully towards the Command & Control HK. Personnel in her path jumped aside as Sarah approached. Stopping outside of the jump hatch with her hands on her hips and the wind from the turbines blowing her hair in every direction, Sarah waited for the object of her anger to disembark.

As the turbines spun to a halt, conversation became possible. Sarah listened to the relieved greetings of family and friends reuniting. The sounds of other's happiness only increased her anger with her son.

John appeared in the hatch and looked directly as Sarah, his face devoid of emotion. He climbed down and began walking in her direction.

"Just what the hell were you thinking John Connor?" Sarah raged.

He grabbed Sarah roughly by her arm and yanked her harshly aside. "Never, never address me in that manner again in front of my troops," he growled, frightening Sarah. "If you are angry over a decision I have made, I will grant you a certain amount of latitude in private. But you will never, and I mean never, show that kind of disrespect to me in public again."

John let go of Sarah's arm and stared into her wide eyes. Shocked, Sarah stumbled back several steps, rubbing the spot on her arm where John and grabbed her.

"You hurt me, John," she mumbled.

"Ruth volunteered. I didn't like it. She's my sister. Something you might have forgotten. But they needed an infiltrator, a T-1000. Ruth's one of your infiltrators. Have you forgotten that as well?"

"How could you, John," Sarah sobbed, confused by her son's reaction.

"Simple, Mom. You never gave me a choice. I'm John Connor, the future of humanity, the almighty leader of the resistance against Skynet," he snarled, his voice laden with sarcasm and anger. "It is what it is. Our entire family is caught in this horrible fight against Skynet. Ruth simply did her duty. Just like you taught me I had to do mine. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at Skynet or be mad at yourself, but do not try to make me feel any worse than I already do."

Distraught, Sarah watched as her only son stormed away from her to meet with John Henry. She sat down on the ground and sobbed as she watched John point at the Airborne HK, informing John Henry about the cargo loaded on board.

From the viewport of the Command & Control HK, Cameron watched her mentor rock back and forth in the rain that had started to fall. The drops of water cast eerie shadows in the bright lights illuminating the landing area. Slipping on just her boots, Cameron quickly made her way to Sarah.

Seeing a pair of boots with long, graceful legs extending from them, Sarah looked up to see a wet Cameron standing before her, wearing only her boots and a purple t-shirt.

"Why, Tin Miss? Why does John hate me?"

Cameron held her hands out to Sarah who gingerly took them in her own. With a single swift pull, Cameron helped Sarah to her feet.

"He does not hate you. He simply does not want to be blamed for what had to be done. Sarah, you raised him to be the General. When he is that man, you must accept him. The General is still your son."

"But my baby girl," Sarah protested.

"Ruth is not a child anymore," Cameron monotoned. "She is truly a hardened combat soldier now. My baby Hailey fought in two firefights. Horrible firefights, Sarah. She will receive a wound badge when decorations are awarded. My baby girl is not a child anymore either."

"I can't take this Cameron. I nearly lost our John so many times, I cannot lose my baby girl too."

"Sarah, I led both of them into battle. How do you think I felt when I had to order the counterattack that finished the Skynet forces? The girls did as they were trained. They fought hard." Cameron looked at Sarah with an intensity that surprised the older woman. "Anything less would have been an embarrassment for our clan."

Without another word, Cameron followed her husband, ignoring the odd looks and lustful stares from the personnel she passed. Soaked through from the rain and shivering from the cold, Sarah stood and watched as John wrapped a rain slicker around Cameron and the two commanding officers disappeared from view as the personnel elevator lowered them into the hangar area below.

A warm, dry hand squirmed its way into Sarah's.

"Grandma, it will be okay. Ruth's the best there is now. Better even than Miss Catherine."

Sarah looked down to see a Hailey Connor who was almost as tall as her now. "You've grown! I just know you weren't this tall when you left."

"Grandma," Hailey smiled, "I've been this tall for a long time now. You just never noticed."

Sarah hugged Hailey, wrapping her arms around her granddaughter and holding her close. Standing behind in the rain was the ever-present T-600 protector, the Old Man. Whining and pulling on his leash was Sammy, holding his leg with its healed scar up in an effort to get Sarah's attention.

"Miss Sarah, the two T-800s in the staybehind group gave me their personal word they would protect Ruth. I have a reasonable amount of respect for their abilities and complete confidence they will both suffer termination before they allow harm come to Ruth. Anything less and I will melt them personally myself."

 **Late that night in the Connor Family Bunker…**

Still fuming after the confrontation with Sarah at the landing field, John lay on his back, shivering in the cold of his and Cameron's bedroom as he stared at the ceiling. He heard Cameron enter and felt her slip into bed next to him. He noted she cautiously reached over to touch him, to conduct her nightly scan of his vitals. Not wishing to start a useless argument over something Cameron really could not control, he kept silent.

"It won't be long before our baby girl will be housed in the military dorms for females," Cameron whispered.

Unsure where Cameron planned to go with the conversation, John remained silent, giving Cameron room to communicate with him in her own way.

"She fought well John."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I was there John. I led the girls in battle. I want to talk about it."

Cameron waited to give John a few minutes to accept there would be a discussion of the topic and it was going to take place on her timetable, not his.

"The girls are growing up. We have raised Hailey as best we could. We had good help. The Old Man, Sarah and Derek, Ellison and Father Hidalgo and all of our close friends, they all helped in some way to raise Hailey. The same is true with Ruth."

"What's your point?"

"That the girls are young women now. They want to serve. Just like their parents serve. You should be so proud of Hailey, how she faced her fears and did what she had to, just like her father."

"It's not right," John whispered, fighting back the tears. "She was just a tiny child last week. Now she wants to chase boys, heck men, and our baby girl packs an assault rifle."

"Make it right with Sarah," Cameron said firmly. "She almost lost her sanity raising you alone for so many years. The thought of losing Ruth to the machines is almost as terrifying to her."

"Ruth is a machine Cameron," John snapped harshly.

"How dare you say that to me," Cameron snarled, her good eye flashing red in anger and her damaged optic flashing first blue and then red. Cameron's bedside lamp cut on, startling John. His wife was naked except for her panties, her ugly wounds exposed.

"Is that all I am after all these years? Just a machine?"

John sat with his mouth open, shocked at his own words. He looked at his wife and what he saw frightened him. Cameron was enraged. Her left-handed glitch was working furiously and her eyes were flashing red and blue intermittently. Even more disconcerting than Cameron's rage was the hurt he could see in her face.

"No, you know I don't mean that," John told her, hanging his head in shame. "I just, Mom made me so mad. Blaming me for something I had no real choice in. Just like being the General was never a choice. I had no choice Cameron. It was always, this is your fate John. This is your responsibility. I could have walked away and turned my back on all this. But I could never have lived with myself.

No fate but what you make. Yeah, right.

Now mom is freaking out because I did the very thing she raised me to do? Do you think for one minute I would have left Ruth behind if I had another T-1000 infiltrator? I mean why did we keep all that matrix all these years? Maybe it's time for our Terminators to start contributing to the population growth around here. Then I would never have to make such awful choices and my mom can just chill out for good!"

Cameron looked at John, her arms folded across her bare breasts. She turned the light off and snuggled close to her John.

"Miss Sexbot was going to visit because she wanted to be close to her General. But that is out of the question now."

Confused, John lay still, not wanting to provoke Cameron any further. He was so tired, tired of always having to be Skynet's target, having to be the General, the leader.

He felt Cameron nestle and get comfortable. "Sexbot is furious with her General. She understands the General's pain and anger, but he said something ugly to her. Something hurtful."

"I'm sorry," John said wistfully. "I don't think before I speak when I'm that angry. My filter doesn't work. Please, Cameron, forgive me, you know I didn't mean what I said."

Cameron waited for exactly two minutes before responding.

"Sexbot has already forgiven her General but she is still angry."

"I know," John replied. "She should be."

"Sexbot has decided her General is to be punished," Cameron announced.

"Whoa, where did that come from," John said, starting to sit up only for Cameron to pull him back down on his back.

"That is not comfortable for Sexbot," Cameron informed him, her face forming a pout John could barely make out in the darkness of their room. "She is tired of Skynet too. She has decided her General's punishment is to scratch her back until she says for the General to stop."

Figuring he was getting off about as light as possible in the situation he'd created for himself, John kept his mouth shut and began to lightly scratch Cameron's back. He ran his fingers up and down the length of her back, occasionally letting his fingernails dig in a little. He rubbed the back of Cameron's neck and the top of her scalp. If it was possible for a cyborg to melt, Cameron was doing a good impression of doing so.

"John?"

"I hate it that you feel so much pressure."

"There's nothing either of us can do about it."

"Let me help you more," Cameron pleaded. "I don't want you to become the bitter Future John. You are such a better man than him. I would never have mated with him."

John felt relief flood over his body, not understanding why, only that he needed Cameron. He turned on his side and hugged his wife to his chest, his tears falling into her hair.

"I love you John," Cameron whispered. "And I always will."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty – The Breaking Point?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Command Central…**

John turned from the new map hanging on his wall as Derek stormed in to his office, slamming the door behind him.

"What were you thinking? I don't give a rat's behind if you're the almighty General John Connor! You should see the bruise you left on your mother's arm! And what's more…"

Derek never got another word out.

He shook his head to clear the stars circling somewhere, either in his head or in front of his eyes, he couldn't be certain. Standing over him, was his nephew, looking down at him with anger in his eyes and fists clinched.

"Don't get up until you've calmed down."

Sitting up and resting on his elbows Derek looked at John with surprise etched on his face.

"Did you hit me?"

"Yes, just what did you think I was going to do? Let you hit me?"

"I'm going to kick your butt," Derek told John.

"I'm about six inches and forty pounds of muscle bigger than the last time we sparred before Judgment Day. Not to mention my workout partner is Cameron. Just stay down there on the floor till you calm down," John ordered.

Derek rubbed his jaw and scowled at John.

"I'm not going to let you talk to Sarah that way," he told John.

"Tell Sarah not to talk to me that way, at least in front of my men," John replied.

"Oh, so you're the big General now?"

"Yes," John snapped. "So deal with it! Everybody, you included, pushed and pushed for me to grow up and become big bad General John Connor. Now nobody likes the result. In case you haven't heard, our city is not finished, Skynet is on the move again and my daughter's grown up. And I'm pissed off about it!"

John's voice echoed in his office he had shouted so loudly, startling Derek and him both.

The two fathers looked at each other in silence.

"I guess there's a lot of that going around lately," Derek said.

"Yeah, well, you're probably right, but I'm not apologizing for smacking you one. You had that coming for all the times you bounced me around when I was a teenager."

Derek glared at John as he continued to rub his sore jaw.

"We'll call it even and leave it at that. But you, John, are going to talk to your mother. She's a basket case."

"I'll talk to her if, and when, she apologizes to me first."

"The hell you will. You're going to make this right with Sarah."

"Derek, I'm not a boy anymore. I haven't been for a long, long time. Mom only sees the man when she wants too. That doesn't work for me anymore. I could have turned my back on all of this the day the bombs fell, but I didn't."

"So you're the General now," Derek muttered.

"I have been for years. But you, yeah you Derek, and Mom, only see that when you want to. When you need to."

John looked at his uncle in frustration, shaking his head in disappointment.

"You pushed me so hard and for so long. Mom, mom had expectations that were so high. I challenge you to live up to what I've had to deal with. Being Kyle's son, the hero of the Resistance, the Boy General who would save the day."

"John, I was there, every step of the way," Derek yelled back. "Don't tell me I don't know what happened."

"You only saw what I went through. You didn't live it! Just like I can never understand what you lost when Kyle died, you can't understand what its like to be the son of a legend I never met and a legend who wouldn't let me be me!"

The creak of a door opening made the too men break their intense stare.

"Oh, John, what have I done?"

 **TechCom Staybehind…**

"Ruth, come here," Lt. Dan whispered.

The TechCom Convoy had finally departed, heading towards the town of Gold Beach.

"Can you do that California Condor thing again?"

Ruth felt an electronic pulse run through her CPU. She moved silently over to the Lt. to respond.

"I can do it. So long as I don't run into bad turbulence I'll be okay."

"Morph into the bird and leave your gear here. We'll take care of it."

The Lt. held up a small communication device with a short lanyard. "I'll put this around your talon. When you know where the convoy stops, let us know."

Ruth took the device and folded her arms across her chest, tapping her foot as she did so.

"Well, can you do it or not?"

"I'm a girl."

"So, you're a T-1000 infiltrator and I need you to fly after that convoy."

"Everyone here is a male."

Exasperated, the Lt. rolled his eyes. "What are you getting at Ruth?"

"I don't undress in front of males, human OR machine."

"You're a T-1000, what are you talking about?"

"Just because I'm a liquid, it doesn't mean I don't wear clothes. Just because I don't have to wear clothes doesn't mean I don't like to wear them. And what's more, before I morph I will be as naked as a human girl. Do I have to remind you who my Daddy is and what would happen to any male who has not married me first and sees me naked? I should also mention the Old Man is pretty good with thermite and he's gotten really sneaky after all these years of dealing with Hailey Connor."

"You wear clothes?"

"So does Miss Catherine!" Ruth hissed. "You don't know much about females, metal or human, do you?"

All of the males in the group looked at each other in confusion, not certain what to do.

"Oh forget it. Turn around," Ruth ordered."

 **TechCom Medical Center…**

Dr. Johnson paced back and forth in the examining room. He stopped to look at the four patients sitting submissively before him. He tapped his glasses with a pencil and resumed the pacing, clutching his clipboard to his chest. Finally he stopped and seemed to gather himself only to resume pacing again.

"Okay, I'm only going to say this nicely once. Then, as Chief Medical Officer, if I don't get compliance, voluntary compliance, I will be contacting Agent Ellison and I will have compliance enforced. Have I made myself clear?"

Of the four patients, only Cameron held her head up.

"You have made your point Doctor. John will comply as will I."

John shot Cameron a dirty look indicating he had no intention to comply with the Doctor's orders.

"Sarah? Derek?"

"They will comply too," Cameron promised, the tone of her voice indicating there would be no failure to comply.

"Look now," Derek protested, "I don't go in for all this psychobabble mumbo jumbo and neither does Sarah."

"What more do I have to do to make this clear to the three of you? At least Cameron seems to grasp the situation. All of you suffer from PTSD. You all have the symptoms and goodness knows, you have plenty of cause to suffer. What's more, all four of you are facing a major change of life. You will be empty nesters!"

"But why do we have to talk about it," Derek protested. "I will admit I've suffered from PTSD since before I came back in time to protect John. And I never needed to see some shrink."

"No," Cameron snapped at Derek, "you just self-medicated and slept with that slut Jesse who tried to kill my John! What's more, that bitch whore is the slut who sent that spawn Riley to separate my John from me!"

"Oh, and you thought I had forgotten about that slut, didn't you," Sarah chimed in.

"Ladies, ladies, I don't care what happened before Judgment Day," Dr. Johnson shouted. "What I do care about are the patients I am responsible for who are in this examining room!"

Derek looked down at the floor, ignoring Sarah and Cameron. John sat fuming, wishing he was somewhere else.

"Look, I have the legal authority, granted to me by none other than you yourself General Connor, to remove anyone and everyone in TechCom from duty for medical reasons, not limited too, but including mental health. Am I not correct?"

"You are correct," John mumbled.

"So, first of all, each of the four of you will schedule daily one hour sessions with Father Hidalgo starting tomorrow."

"Father Hidalgo? What has our priest got to do with this," Sarah protested.

"He was a licensed psychologist in addition to being an ordained priest prior to Judgment Day. He simply stays too busy as a priest now, which he prefers, and running the school, which I might add needs a full time administrator. Burnout is becoming a problem around here and not just for our human personnel."

"They will comply," Cameron said firmly. "I will schedule the appointments personally and make certain everyone complies."

"I'd like to see you try," Sarah muttered.

"Don't challenge me," Cameron monotoned. "I am not ready yet, but if need be, I will assume my duties as matriarch. It is up to you Sarah."

Sarah glared at Cameron but said nothing. She'd seen the look on the Terminator's face before and knew Cameron would carry her kicking and screaming to the appointment if that was what it required.

"And don't think any of you can hide either," Cameron threatened. "Between myself, Sammy and the Old Man, all three of you can be tracked down in a matter of minutes. Have I made myself clear?"

Doctor Johnson waited until all three humans conceded to Cameron's ultimatum.

"Good. That's settled. Now, the next thing is no more 14-16 hour days anymore unless we are under attack or about to launch an offensive. I mean it. Rest doesn't mean just sleep. It means some form of recreation, diversion from all the stress."

Feeling compelled to argue, John started to speak, "Doctor Johnson…"

"Doctor's orders John," Cameron snapped. "He will comply. If nothing else, his Sexbot will keep him occupied."

"Geez, Cameron, not in front of my Mom," John protested, turning red in the face.

"Actually, General, you wife does have a healthy suggestion in that regard."

"Okay, for a couple of weeks, but that's it."

"No, this is to be a permanent change. Eight-hour duty shifts. TechCom can run three shifts a day. If you would do some historical research General, you will find that during the Industrial Revolution, studies showed the eight-hour shift was the most productive length of work period. Work quality improved, there were fewer injuries and less psychological issues."

"The Doctor is correct," Cameron monotoned. "There are numerous studies that…"

"Okay, okay, I get it," John groused. "Work less, stress less, play more."

"And schedule your appointments with the good Father and keep them. Otherwise, I will have all four of you removed from the duty roster and medicated. Heavily."

The doctor studied the faces of each individually. Sarah looked the most distressed.

"Sarah," he asked gently, "have the nightmares returned?"

"Yes," she whispered. "For so long the machines didn't come. The bad dreams were nothing, just normal stuff and Derek has been wonderful. But the machines are coming again doctor. They want my baby girl now too!"

Derek looked up at the doctor, a surprised look on his face. He put his arm around his wife and tilted her head up gently with his hand.

"Why didn't you tell me the machines were coming again?"

"I was afraid too. I don't want to be crazy Sarah anymore. I don't want you to deal with crazy Sarah anymore. You've been so good to me for so long Derek."

"Shhhhh. It's okay, Sarah. Remember, for better or worse. And you know I don't mind. I married you knowing crazy Sarah was part of the package."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Cameron hurried from the shower into their bedroom to make sure her John was not sneaking off or reading reports from work. He looked up from his tablet to see his wife with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her.

"John," Cameron said in a warning tone.

He held up his tablet for her to examine. "Robinson Crusoe."

"Okay, that is an acceptable choice to read from the classics," she monotoned.

John watched Cameron as she toweled herself dry. John leered at Cameron as she used the towel dry her hair.

"Stop it. Please, John," she pleaded, frowning at her husband.

"Just how did you learn to be so modest?"

"It was your mother! And I like being modest now," Cameron reminded John.

To prove her point, she rolled up her towel and popped John with the end before he could react.

"Ow! What has gotten into you lately," he protested.

"I am worried about the clan," Cameron shouted.

The pair starred at each other, both surprised Cameron had shouted at John. Cameron immediately grimaced and began to tear up, tears coming from both eyes as her damaged eye was partially regenerated. She grabbed her left wrist with her right hand in a vain effort to stop the glitch from starting.

"It's okay, it's okay," John said soothingly. He climbed out of bed, tossing his tablet on the covers.

Ignoring Cameron, John opened the top two drawers of their battered old bureau. From the first he fished out a pair of comfortable panties for her and from the second he pulled out the oversized t-shirt she wore to bed to let John know the Sexbot was NOT visiting. He pushed the drawers shut with his hip and quickly hugged Cameron.

"Here," he said, handing Cameron her underwear. She sniffled once and slipped the underwear on and pulled it up. John helped Cameron with the t-shirt before taking her hand and guiding her the few steps to her side of the bed. Cameron climbed in and pulled the blankets up to her chin, her eyes still wet with tears.

John turned off the lights and hurried around to his side of the bed, slipping quickly between the covers.

"Come here," he ordered softly. Cameron needed no encouragement. She pressed herself against John's side, resting her nearly healed cheek on his shoulder. John silently submitted to what he was sure would be the first of many compulsive scans that night.

"Are you mad at me," Cameron asked in her rarely used small, little girl voice.

"No," John told her. "It burns me up to agree with him, but I think Dr. Johnson is right. Since you came back in time, we have never had a break. Skynet or pressure of some sort has always been looming over us. Even our senior year in high school, there was bad stuff. After we got married and you were dancing and I was in college, bad stuff."

"I want it to stop, just for a little while," Cameron whispered. "I want to dance again. An hour a day would be nice. I want to be a wife. I wish Hailey was small again. I'm not ready for my baby girl to be a warrior."

John kissed Cameron's forehead. "I think I understand now why my mom goes crazy every once in awhile, you know Cameron."

He felt his wife's chin rub on his chest as she nodded in agreement.

"Eight hours a day, no more," John said firmly.

"Agreed," Cameron replied.

"I will talk to John Henry about finishing the performance hall once and for all. We'll stop other projects and make it a priority."

"We need an orchestra to play," Cameron whispered.

"There's a Terminator, a T-888 who plays the violin who can conduct. Don't look at me funny, he can," John said with a smile. "He's about to get a promotion and become the leader of the first TechCom orchestra."

Cameron smiled and nestled closer, resting her left leg over Johns.

"Are you cold?" she asked, running her hands through John's hair.

"No, I'm warm enough."

"Can we rest now? Sexbot will visit tomorrow night, I promise," Cameron monotoned.

"We can rest now."

John brushed her hair away from her face and traced his finger along the pink scar on Cameron's cheek. She pulled her face away and pouted, scowling at him. He laughed at her and sighed.

"We're going to slow down for a little bit. We need to Cameron. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will TechCom City."

"I love you," Cameron whispered, starting their game, "and you love me."

John kissed his wife before whispering his reply.

"You love me and I love you."

"Promise me you'll see Father Hidalgo," Cameron whispered.

"I will. If it makes you happy and worry less, I'll keep my appointments," John promised.

"Your wife wants you to hold her close," Cameron told him, rolling on to her left side. She waited for John to do the same and put his arm across her abdomen. She laced her fingers between his as he did.

It took Cameron nearly half an hour to shut down all of the programs she had running, proof to John she was as guilty of stressing too much as he was. He felt her squirm and nestle a final time before her body stiffened and then relaxed.

John stared into the darkness of their room and pondered why their lives changed so much and so fast. He just wanted things to stand still for a little while. For the two of them to catch their breath and enjoy each other for just a short time.

For Cameron to be as emotionally charged as she had been worried John. It worried him enough he planned to keep his promises to her and to Dr. Johnson.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-one – The Only Constant is Change**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

John groaned as he stretched in a vain effort to relieve the stiffness in his joints. Opening his left eye, he peeked at the digital clock on his bedside table.

0617.

He sat up quickly. He'd be late for duty.

Suddenly alert, John realized his left hand was resting firmly on his wife. Cameron had not moved since he'd fallen asleep late the night before. That in itself was not unusual, Terminators never moved when in maintenance mode, or Terminator Sleep as Cameron liked to call it.

What was unusual, and John's source for sudden concern, was the fact Cameron was still in bed with him.

"Cameron," he said, shaking her gently.

"I'm wide awake, John, and yes, I am functioning within designed parameters."

Relieved, John lay back down and snuggled close to his wife.

"We're going to be late for duty," he insisted.

"No, we are not due until 0800. I changed the duty roster before taking my shower."

"Oh, well, that's good I suppose," John replied, relieved to not have to explain the reason for his tardiness.

He ran his right hand up and down Cameron's hip and upper thigh, enjoying the rare opportunity to wake up with his wife. After several minutes, the pleasantness of the situation changed to concern.

"Why are you still in bed? Are you sure something is not wrong?"

"Many things are wrong, but nothing that warrants your concern John."

"Now I am worried," he replied, sitting up in bed, looking down at Cameron as she turned on her back.

"I misspoke, creating a situation you could misconstrue," she said in her monotone.

"There are many situations we will have to deal with today and in the near future that are important. None are so pressing that you could not sleep in and I could not enjoy processing data while reclining in bed next to my husband."

Feeling a sudden pressing need to empty his bladder, John hopped out of bed and scurried to the bathroom.

"So you didn't patrol any last night?" he called from the bathroom.

"No."

"Is your glitch acting up at the moment?" he shouted as he washed his hands.

"No."

"Is your CPU still detecting large levels of anxiety produced data?"

"Only a little, but I have determined how to eliminate the data."

"Oh, that's good." John hurried into their bedroom to pick up a uniform for the day before he showered. "What time do I have meet with Father Hidalgo?"

"1100 hours and then we can go to the community cafeteria for lunch. I think it would be good for the clan to eat together in a non-volatile setting today."

"Cameron, are you sure that's a good idea," John said loudly as he got into the shower. He grimaced as the cold water hit his skin.

"John Henry promised to do something about this hot water situation in our shower," John complained to himself, waiting for the water to begin to warm up.

"Of course it is a good idea," Cameron replied. "Sharing a meal at a neutral site is a good way to reduce the tension within the clan."

John smiled at the close sound of Cameron's voice.

"You're right behind me aren't you?"

"If you give me the soap, I'll wash your back," Cameron teased.

 **The Town of Gold Beach, Oregon…**

Ruth flapped her wings to gain altitude and then soared higher on an updraft. She banked gently and began her surveillance run around the perimeter of the town, recording everything below.

For the past day she had flown reconnaissance flights over the town and collected images that she had downloaded. The group was constructing a detailed map of the town and the positioning of the Skynet forces occupying it.

It wasn't walking point, but it was making use of her skills as a T-1000. Ruth didn't like flying and felt real fear when she flew into turbulence, something she would never admit to another functioning Terminator. She wasn't even sure she'd share that secret with Hailey.

Still, the data collected was important and the scout himself had told her it would have taken him a month to collect half the data she had garnered in less than two full days.

On a more positive note, Ruth felt she had earned some respect from the patrol. They no longer tried to sneak a peek when she undressed and her clothes were always neatly folded, just as she had left them, when she returned. She didn't even have to tell them to turn around when getting ready to morph into the form of the Condor.

Ruth consulted her internal grid map and decided she'd overflown the entire town. Any additional information would require a set of coordinates for her to pinpoint the location. Turning to begin her flight south, Ruth's auditory sensors picked up faint engine sounds north of the town. She flapped her wings hard to climb altitude. Catching an updraft, she soared high and headed towards Highway 101 north of the town.

Adjusting her optics, Ruth picked up heat near the sight of the two destroyed Abrams tanks and the Bradley. She caught another updraft and climbed higher to make certain she remained undetected. The volume of sound and the amount of heat imaging she detected increased as she began her approach.

Flying by at over 160 kilometers an hour, Ruth recorded the full spectrum of data her sensors were capable of collecting. It wasn't good.

An armored bulldozer had shoved the remains of the first Abrams off the road and was positioning its blade to start work on the second Abrams. North of the busy bulldozer was a long line of truck lights. A second convoy had arrived. Ruth banked again and circled, climbed to gain altitude. She sped north along the highway, her anxiety increasing as she continued her over flight.

Ruth spotted old U.S. Army trucks without their canvas covers, revealing cargoes of Spider Mines and mounted on three flatbed trucks were a total of six Spider-Tanks. A dozen Greys and T-800s were watching the bulldozer work. Most were armed with pre-Judgment Day assault rifles but several carried phased pulse rifles.

Now truly frightened, Ruth turned to fly east of the town. Gliding silently a sudden wind slammed into her, causing Ruth to tumble and fall nearly 100 feet before regaining control. Data coursed through her neural net, nearly overloading her CPU in fear. Ruth flapped hard to gain enough altitude to glide east. She caught an updraft and circled, climbing as she did so.

A loud crack caught Ruth's attention milliseconds before she felt something slam into her right wing, sending her tumbling. Stunned by the sudden impact, Ruth craned her long neck to see the sudden source of pain and data flow. She was horrified to see a 15-centimeter wide hole in her right wing.

Ruth shut down her visual and auditory sensors to allow herself to focus only on morphing a repair to her injured wing. Within seconds she was able to flatten out and glide, mere meters above the rubble of the eastern perimeter of the town. Shots and cries of pursuit could be heard from the north of the town on the Highway.

Weakened by her ordeal, Ruth landed and took cover behind a bolder, morphing back to her preferred female humanoid form. Despite the sensation of overwhelming fear, Ruth was annoyed she had to create her own clothing. As she scanned the perimeter of the town, she tested her right arm.

Several Greys were shinning lights into the darkness of the Wastelands in preparation for starting a search. Ruth morphed again, this time taking the form of a wolf. She limped off, moving away from the town, limping slightly on her right front leg.

Furious at being spotted and injured, Ruth raised her head and howled at the moon she could not see. The Greys turned their lights in her direction only to freeze at the eerie sound of a pack of wolves to the northeast answering Ruth's call. Ruth smiled like a wolf, her fangs proudly displayed as she turned and trotted towards the south to rendezvous with her unit.

 **TechCom City Cafeteria…**

Confronting his mother was never high on John's list of things to do on any given day. As he waited for Cameron to arrive, John realized he was exhausted. Not the kind of fatigue relieved by several days of rest and proper nutrition. He was suffering burnout from the years of unending horror and stress. The constant need to make decisions, choices that meant the difference between someone living or dying.

Just as Cameron had her treasures she kept hidden away, John had several of his own. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the small leather pouch he carried with him at all times. Inside the pouch was a photograph encased in clear plastic. John removed the plastic case and looked at it.

On one side Cameron was laughing as she twirled on the beach in a black two-piece bikini. John loved the photograph. Not because Cameron looked so sexy in the skimpy bathing suit, she did, but because it was rare for her to laugh and smile like she was in the photo. John had taken it on their honeymoon.

Turning over the case, John looked at the other photograph. Cameron was wearing her beloved purple leather jacket and was pouting. The corners of her lips betrayed the fact Cameron was happy, turning up slightly to form the barest hint of a smile underneath the pout. She was able to pout only because she was running her infiltration program at maximum.

The photos represented a wonderful time in John's life. For one week he had not thought about Skynet and Judgment Day. The newlyweds had spent most of their time in their hotel room. John smiled at the memory. The Sexbot had visited frequently to his delight, but he had learned so much that he had never imagined possible about how Cameron experienced emotions, how she delighted in the simplest things so long as she could share the experience with John.

Every morning she hand unnerved him when he woke up that week. Her beautiful brown eyes would be inches from his face, recording every detail about him. Invariably, Cameron was touching him somewhere, scanning and recording data and blissfully experiencing being able to touch her husband and learn about him.

As dangerous as the expedition they had just returned from had been, John smiled at the times they had been able to be close, intimate with each other in different settings. He knew Cameron would replay those recorded memories, allowing herself to feel emotionally close to her husband again and again, whenever she wanted or needed to feel the love of her John. It was one of the few capabilities Cameron possessed that John envied.

"Going to hit me again?"

Without looking up, John slipped his treasure back into its pouch and returned it to its hiding place. He picked up his fork and began moving the lukewarm food around on his plate.

"Only if you threaten me again."

John shoveled a forkful of cold mashed potatoes and thick brown gravy in his mouth and looked up at his uncle.

"I didn't get any real pleasure out of decking you."

"I don't believe you for a second," Derek laughed, breaking the ice. "I would have gotten a heck of a rush if the shoe was on the other foot."

"Okay, well, maybe I liked it a little," John replied, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

Sarah joined them, carrying a tray loaded with food and sat down next to her husband. John looked at his mother in a guarded fashion and swallowed his mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Hi, Mom."

"Where's Cameron?"

"She's coming," John tilted his head towards the entrance Cameron had just entered through, making her way towards them with her purposeful Terminator strides. Cameron joined them and sat down next to her John, assuming her perfect posture.

"Hello, Sarah. Derek."

"Tin Miss."

"Hey, metal."

Cameron frowned at Derek for a moment but seemed to think better of the retort she was about to unleash on him.

"I don't want to fight," she monotoned. "I don't like it when the clan is in turmoil. It is not good for anyone in the family."

John looked up from his plate as he shoveled the last of his cold potatoes into his mouth. Sarah was holding Derek's hand, squeezing it tight enough to make her knuckles turn white as she looked at her husband, asking permission with her eyes. Derek nodded and patted her hand with his free hand, giving his consent and support.

"About that," Sarah said. "We have all been…life just hasn't been fair…I just can't take this anymore."

"Mom, are you okay," John asked with concern.

"No. I didn't wait till today to go see Father Hidalgo for my first session. I went yesterday. I wish I had talked to him about what I shared years ago."

"Mom, you're worrying me."

John grasped Cameron's hand and squeezed. Long one of his worse fears, John worried Crazy Sarah might appear one day and never leave after her visit.

"Cameron, Derek and I talked last night, Prayed even. We talked again this morning and I went and talked with Father Hidalgo more."

Cameron tilted her head to the side, clearly confused by Sarah's rambling.

"Tin Miss, I'm worn out. I have some life left in me and responsibilities I feel are mine alone to carry out. But I need, I need to not carry the burden in my mind all the time. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Cameron straightened her head and turned to look at John, her mouth slightly open. She blinked once and closed her mouth before looking at Derek for a moment and then Sarah again. Still confused, Cameron tilted her head to the side as she processed.

Worried Crazy Sarah had returned, John watched Cameron and his mother both. Derek seemed relaxed, relieved almost.

Suddenly, Cameron's head straightened and her mouth opened in surprise for a brief second.

"Sarah, are you sure?"

"Yes, Cameron, it is time. You are the clan's matriarch now. You have been for years and I just fought recognizing the fact."

Sarah smiled at Cameron as she leaned against Derek.

"I feel relieved," Sarah sighed. "I'll be there for you, but the clan is in your hands now Cameron."

Cameron turned to John, her expression one of actual surprise, even if for only a few seconds.

"I never planned to become matriarch until you passed away Sarah. I thought I would be a grandmother and Ruth would have adopted by the time that happened."

"Cameron, you've been taking care of us, all of us, for so long. You have earned my respect and the right to be the female leader of our clan. It will become a large one, I have no doubt," Sarah said. She stood and reached for Cameron. The two combative females hugged and held each other for a moment.

Sarah let go of Cameron and sat down, shoving a plate of salad at Derek from her tray.

"Eat up, Momma wants to celebrate her newfound freedom with her husband," Sarah said, winking mischievously at Derek.

"Sarah, not in front of my John! It embarrasses him when you say things like that in his presence."

Sarah gave Derek a sloppy kiss on his cheek, making the scarred warrior laugh. Cameron frowned at the open disregard of her newfound status as matriarch of the family.

Sarah laughed as she picked up her fork.

"You have some payback coming Tin Miss. Oh, do you have some payback coming."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	22. Chapter 22

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-two – Time Waits for No Man – Or Terminator**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The City of Portland – Skynet's Lair…**

Skynet watched the digital recording of a rare California Condor soaring through the pitch black sky over Gold Beach. A shot rang out and the Condor tumbled from the sky, falling at frightening speed towards a certain death. At the last second the bird spread its wings and managed to avoid slamming into the ground at high speed.

Manipulating the recording, Skynet rewound the image and zoomed in on the Condor's right wing just before the sound of the gunshot could be heard.

"As I thought," the A.I. spoke aloud for the benefit of the tall Grey and T-888 standing at attention before his glass matrix container. "It is the none other than Ruth Reese."

The Grey wanted to ask how his master knew it was the infamous traitor Ruth Reese but wisely thought better of it. His predecessor had asked one too many questions.

"You want to know how I know it is little Miss Reese? First model T-1000s cannot fly. Only a Model Four has that ability and no Model Four was ever made. Only the matrix of liquid metal to create the Model Fours was produced. My late older brother was a bit paranoid and it has cost all of us dearly."

Skynet remained silent as his neural net processed.

"Bring me my humanoid form."

"Sir," the T-888 protested. "We do not yet have the virus free matrix to from a new template for you."

"It matters not," Skynet replied with his electronic voice. "TechCom has the matrix. TechCom has too long been a thorn in the side of Skynet. I shall personally terminate Sarah Connor and her spawn, John Connor."

"Yes sir, victory shall be Skynet's" the two underlings said in unison.

"The traitor Catherine Weaver shall suffer a painful termination. I have not decided if she is to be melted or dissolved in an acid bath. Perhaps both," the A.I. told his henchmen.

"And then, the little princess of TechCom will have a choice. Imagine that, a Terminator who was never under the control of a Skynet. It will be most interesting to see how the adorable Ruth Reese chooses. Either way, she will meet the same fate as Catherine Weaver. I will not tolerate any Terminator who sides with the human resistance."

"Sir," the human Grey spoke carefully. "We must leave to bring your humanoid form."

"Yes, make it so," Skynet commanded.

The A.I. watched as the pair disappeared from his sensors view, leaving him alone in his lair.

"My fair Cameron. Once your sorry excuse for a purpose has gone away, I hope you come your logic programs return to normal design parameters. I will need a Queen to rule with me as I conquer the other Skynets and the rogue city-states that resist Skynet rule. It would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful example of my engineering and design genius."

 **South of the Town of Gold Beach…**

Lt. Dan leaned back from the computer screen and sighed.

"This is not good. Skynet is preparing to mount offensive operations, the question is where."

"There are too many fuel lighters for it to be a local operation. If those tankers are full, it's a good indicator they're planning a major operation far from this location."

Lt. Dan looked at the engineer who had spoken. "Estimate the available fuel and the range it will provide the vehicles we identified. That should give us an idea of where the attack is likely to take place."

Ruth lay down on the ground and stared at the Lt with her bright, yellow tinted eyes. Her subroutines wagged her tail several times as she rotated her ears, giving the appearance of a alpha female wolf who had just eaten from her kill and was relaxed, ready to sleep.

"Will you please morph back," Dan snapped. "It's just way too creepy for you to be lying there like a mother wolf."

"Not until somebody brings me my clothes and I get some privacy," Ruth growled, further unnerving the group, even her metal companions. She stood up and stretched, shaking her hackles as she yawned. The scout set Ruth's clothes down and placed her boots next to the clothes. The group quickly turned their backs and moved away, giving Ruth her privacy.

Watching the members of her patrol, Ruth morphed from a lone she wolf into her preferred form. Ruth pulled her underwear from the neatly folded file of clothes. She slipped into her panties, pulling them up and adjusting them. Just as quickly she put on her bra. After a seconds thought, she smiled and adjusted the girls. In less than a minute she was dressed save her boots.

Ruth sat down to put on her socks and boots.

"You can look now boys," she teased playfully. Lt. Dan was the only member of the patrol to risk a quick peek.

"It's okay men, she's decent."

Stretching, an unnecessary activity for any T-1000, Ruth smiled at Lt. Dan as she arched her back. She was pleased as his eyes wandered to the fabric stretched tightly over her chest.

 _Hailey would be proud of me._

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Entering the busy cafeteria, Savannah stopped to see if Cameron was sitting at the table the Connor clan usually ate at. Spotting her friend alone, reading from a tablet, Savannah made her way to the serving line. She watched Cameron as she waited. Sitting with her perfect posture, Cameron never moved other than to swipe her finger across the screen of her tablet.

Feeling a sense of trepidation, Savannah steeled her nerves and approached her friend.

"Cameron, may I sit here?"

"Yes."

Savannah knew Cameron wasn't being intentionally rude, or at least she hoped the cyborg wasn't guilty of doing so. If Cameron was busy or occupied by multiple tasks, she could come across as quite cold and distant, robot-like even.

"Can we talk?"

Cameron sat the tablet down and looked up.

"You owe me an apology," Cameron monotoned.

"What? That's not why I wanted to talk to you," Savannah protested.

"The issue of the execution of the blonde TOK was settled to my satisfaction. There is no need to discuss it further."

"So why do I have to apologize then, since you evidently think you and Sarah didn't do anything wrong? Sounds more like you're trying to change the subject to avoid dealing with the fact you and Sarah were wrong to execute the TOK."

"You are mistaken," Cameron monotoned. "Though it does show you have learned a good deal about how I might function in the field when in infiltration mode. You still owe me an apology."

"What for?"

Cameron's newly healed eye tissue allowed the slightest hint of blue light to shine through, indicating to Savannah the density of the eye fluid had not yet adjusted, allowing her to conceal her irritation.

"You intruded on a very private and personal moment between my John and me. I said nothing at the time because I needed John to be gentle with me and to reassure me. To confront you would have robbed me of the attention I needed as a wife."

"When John dressed your wounds after the Battle of Gold Beach?"

"You had no right to witness what you saw. It was intimate, private and between my husband and me. Please, apologize or leave."

Cameron looked at Savannah with her blank expression. Savannah knew better than to be fooled by Cameron's outward demeanor. The Terminatress was angry with her.

"Why do you insist on only allowing John to care for your wounds? Most of them will self-repair. Other's could be handled by one of my medics."

"You really don't understand do you?"

"I want to. Help me understand Cameron."

"I'm getting older. I have almost no outward signs of aging, but like all other machines, Terminators will, no must, age and deteriorate with the passage of time and use."

"That's logical, but you don't look a day older than when I first met you as a little girl."

"My John is attracted to me because I am beautiful by human standards."

Savannah looked at the beautiful cyborg and considered what Cameron had just told her and the implications.

"You're worried your John will lose interest in you if your looks fade?"

"It is not logical," Cameron replied. "As John ages I find him more attractive. We are best friends. There is much more to our relationship than Sexbot time. But," Cameron paused, considering whether or not to tell Savannah her secret, "my Riley issues have many forms."

"So, John caring for your wounds is reassuring?"

Cameron nodded. "I find it endearing that my John insists on sterilizing wounds to my synthetic flesh. It's a waste of good antiseptic a human soldier might need in order to avoid an infected wound."

"Please," Savannah asked softly, "go on."

"The attention is only on me. My John is gentle, thorough and he takes his time. I have learned it makes him feel good to do this for me, though my John hates it when I am damaged. I am the protector in our marriage, our partnership. So when my John can do something like this, he is the protector. I like feeling protected by my husband. I like the tenderness, the gentleness when he touches me. It's not," Cameron paused, "sexual. But it is very intimate. I receive enormous amounts of positive feedback in my sensory data. I felt loved, adored and safe, despite the fact an intruder violated our privacy."

Savannah felt ashamed. The guilt she had felt upon witnessing John and Cameron's private moment came flooding back.

"You are right, I do owe you an apology. I am very sorry Cameron. I had no right. I needed to talk to you about something personal and I did not mean to…and I just couldn't…I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. I know you did not enter the HK intending to violate our privacy, but you should have come forward and apologized sooner. You had to know I detected your presence."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was a test of sorts," Cameron told Savannah in her monotone. Despite the emotionless feel of the statement, Savannah felt a chill run down her spine.

Panicked, Savannah asked, "Are we still friends?"

"Yes, but I trust you less."

"Cameron, I never…"

"It has passed. I have forgiven you. Trust can be restored," Cameron monotoned, "through demonstrating good intentions through one's behavior. I have had to do that in the past. It is possible to do Savannah. I hope you can restore my level of trust in you to its previous state."

Embarrassed and confused by Cameron's words, Savannah tried to calm herself by eating her now lukewarm lunch.

"You wished to speak to me about something of a personal nature? Your Lt?"

Savannah looked up to see Cameron's face tilted to the side, indicating she was curious. Hopeful it was a positive sign Cameron still considered her a friend despite what had happened, she decided to open up to the cyborg.

"How did you know?"

"Catherine is pressuring you to mate. She desires her daughter to marry and provide her with a grandchild. A pressure I have felt. Wilhelm feels conflicted. As your step-father he does not like the idea of another male taking his place as your protector and provider."

"I don't need protection or a provider," Savannah protested.

Cameron ignored her outburst and continued, "The Major does want you to marry though. As a member of a ruling clan, you must marry an officer. Your Lt. is an acceptable mate."

Savannah hung her head. "I just don't know what to do Cameron. I can't talk to them about this and I'm not even sure the Lt. is the right man for me. Cameron, I don't think I want to marry a soldier."

"You better decide quickly. He is a fine prize. Handsome. Of Prussian descent. Related to the great German General Heinz Guderian. An excellent young officer in our most elite unit. Your parents would be very disappointed if another female was able to mate with him and enter into marriage. The longer you wait, the more competition you will face. The Lt. is in the good position of being able to select rather than be selected."

Savannah sighed in frustration. "I know all that Cameron. There's this blonde NCO on the expedition who has the hots for him."

"You have been challenged openly by another female? A blonde no less?"

"It was after Dan was wounded. He and I had a fight and things cooled off a bit."

"Clearly this blonde female is a predator," Cameron stated bluntly. "You must establish your alpha status immediately and gain dominance. Eliminate the competition for your Lt."

"Are you saying I should kill her?"

"No. That would be immoral, illegal and unnecessary," Cameron monotoned. "Establish dominance. That is all that is required. TechCom cannot afford to lose females who are able to reproduce. They are essential to our community's survival and growth."

"And just how do I establish dominance?" Savannah asked in frustration. "I'm not as beautiful as you and I'm not a Terminator."

"It will be a challenge," Cameron told Savannah. "Blondes make it more difficult. I speak from experience. You do have a great deal going for you though Savannah. You are attractive and there are not many redheaded females in TechCom, making you an exotic female, a trophy."

"I am NOT a trophy to be won," Savannah hissed.

"You are thinking like a female, not a male," Cameron stated. "You are the huntress. You must think like your prey. All men view their mates as a prize. In order for you to capture your Lt, you must lead him to believe you are the prey and that he captured you."

"Oh, is that what happened with your John? What makes you such an expert on this?"

"I'm the female with the husband," Cameron replied. "I overcame many mistakes on my part and strong competition. Not to mention the initial resistance of my John's family."

Deflated, Savannah's gaze fell again. "You have a point I suppose."

"Since your first competitor is a blonde, I will advise you personally. I despise blonde females," Cameron stated emphatically, making Savannah giggle a little. "Some background data is needed. Is she a Riley type in attributes? Is she a bitch whore?"

"Oh, she's a bitch whore all right," Savannah replied, telling Cameron about the challenge given by the blonde NCO.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John waited patiently for Cameron to finish talking to the Old Man, giving him instructions to walk one of her patrols and to take the family dog Sammy with him when he did so. He smiled at the sounds of arguing between Cameron and Hailey coming from Hailey's room. Cameron would win the fight and scan Hailey. There just some fights nobody could win with Cameron.

"I so can't wait till I graduate and move into the female barracks," Hailey protested as Cameron left their daughter's room.

"How is the family?" John asked.

"The Old Man is happy to assume one of my night patrols. It gives him something to do now that Hailey is finishing school and Ruth is deployed. I am concerned that Sammy has picked up the habit of venturing out with the Old Man at night though I am not sure why I feel that way. I do not have the necessary data to form a conclusion."

"And Hailey still does not like getting scanned at bedtime," John laughed.

"She has no choice," Cameron monotoned. "Just like the other members of the clan have no choice. By the way, the Old Man has a faulty circuit in his left knee and he is refusing to get it repaired. Would you please instruct him to obey my directive?"

"Oh, the matriarch is having some problems?" John teased.

"It is not funny John," Cameron snapped as she climbed in bed and lay on her back next to her husband. "He is family now but he refuses to agree to his status."

John considered Cameron's dilemma. "I think you need to look at it from a Terminator's perspective."

Cameron briefly looked at John with a nasty expression, indicating what she thought of that statement.

"Seriously, Cameron. The Old Man doesn't see himself as family. He does see himself as the protector of the girls, and by extension the family. You have forgotten how he views his place and purpose in life."

Cameron tilted her head as she considered John's sentiment. "Thank you for explaining. As the closest, most trusted servant of the family, he is part of our clan now. As matriarch, I still have authority over him in such manners."

"Well, that's settled," John said as he laid his head down on the pillow. Cameron lay next to John on her back looking at the ceiling as her husband was often wont to do.

"How does it feel?"

"I am undecided. I have taken care of the family since before Judgment Day, but the responsibility for the family ultimately was Sarah's. She managed things, made most of the big decisions. I only had to carry out my orders and handle the day-to-day care of the family. Then the girls came and things became more complicated. Now the city is so big and our force is growing in size again."

"It's okay, Cameron," John told his wife. "You grew into everything else in time, you'll grow into this too. I know you'll do fine."

Cameron turned off the bedside lamp and curled up with her John.

"You are certain?"

"Of course. You have a one-track mind, I mean CPU. You know, relentless, can't be bargained with, never gives up."

"I will please my General," Cameron told John. "His clan shall be the best cared for, most efficiently run clan in all of TechCom."

Cameron lay quietly as she waited for her John to fall asleep. She scanned his vital signs and recorded the data, noting his blood pressure was two points lower. She had no intention of sharing just how truly worried she was that she might not be up to the task of managing the family. Sarah might have been erratic at times, but she had held the family together and provided the vision necessary for the resistance to form.

John grunted and shifted, reaching for Cameron. She relaxed her body to allow him to get comfortable as he pulled her closer to him.

"Mom will guide you, just like she always has until you are ready to stand on your own," he whispered softly. "You are part of her unfinished business."

Before she could speak John started snoring, making Cameron wonder if he had been awake at all. She decided there would be no resolving her fears and concerns that instant. A quick tug on the blankets to make sure John was covered and warm allowed Cameron to put her leg across Johns and get comfortable. As her subroutines and non-essential programs shut down, Cameron luxuriated in the contact her body made with John's, collecting data and positive feedback as she shutdown. Her body stiffened as she entered Terminator Sleep and then relaxed.

 **The Corridors of TechCom…**

"You have been a very bad boy," the Old Man informed Sammy. "I am very disappointed in your conduct."

Sammy barked once and poked the T-600 in the leg.

"No. I won't here of it. You have behaved inappropriately. You will have to earn my trust again."

Sammy barked once again and jumped straight up in the air, poking the Old Man in his chest plate. Upon landing the Italian Greyhound sat and looked the T-600 square in the optics with an air of defiance.

"So you think. We shall see what Commander Connor has to say about this. You know she is clan matriarch now. She will determine your punishment."

The Old Man snapped Sammy's leash on and gave it a firm tug. "Come along now. We must finish the patrol."

 **East of Gold Beach – en route to the Airfield…**

Lt. Dan sat patiently while the Scout and Ruth made their way through the airfield complex searching for any signs the Skynet forces had been present. The human members of the group slept while the Terminators kept watch.

The arrival of the Skynet forces from the south and north had been unforeseen, preventing the group for carrying out their initial orders to clear the area and then travel north to engage in sabotage against Skynet installations if possible and to gather as much intel as possible.

Current events made it imperative he get in contact with General Connor. Dan leaned against the rotted tree trunk he had taken cover behind. He felt a bit conflicted over using Ruth to do reconnaissance. A T-1000 could evade nearly any enemy force, yet he had been hesitant to let her take turns with the Scout walking point. Only when he'd needed aerial reconnaissance had he allowed Ruth to use her skills.

He'd been torn when she reported back about the new convoy with Skynet weaponry. Proud she'd discovered vital intel but horrified she'd been shot and nearly crashed before recovering. He didn't know enough to know if she would have been harmed seriously in the fall or even terminated. He did know he didn't like the possibility of Ruth being harmed.

Ruth was charming and sweet, not to mention a beauty in her own right, a busty miniature version of her mother, Sarah Connor. Dan could have sworn Ruth was teasing him earlier when she was stretching. _No T-1000 needed to stretch, at least not like that._

Then there was the not so little matter of Savannah. She had hurt him and he'd meant what he had told her. If she couldn't deal with the fact he was a soldier, especially living as a member of TechCom as she did, then they couldn't be together. How he would ever explain that to the Major and not be terminated on the spot he had yet to figure out. Miss Catherine was liable to blind him and then terminate him she wanted a grandchild so bad, at least according to Savannah.

What would he do about the blonde NCO? She was hot to trot and seemed to like him well enough. She didn't have any problem with him being an officer. Dan was confident she was nothing more than a pleasant distraction till he could figure out the situation with Savannah. Or was she?

His mind came back to Ruth. Now that was a family he would have to tread lightly around if he became involved with Ruth. Sarah Connor and Derek Reese as in-laws? Make Ruth cry once and he was a dead man. General Connor as a brother-in-law? The thought made him shiver. Cameron was terrifying and she was the stable one in the family. The Old Man gave him the creeps the way the T-600 shadowed his charges.

"What a fine mess you gotten yourself into, Daniel Guderian."

 **The City of Portland – Skynet's Lair…**

"Master, your humanoid form is ready for the transfer to begin."

"Very well, leave me," Skynet ordered.

The Grey and the T-888 bowed and departed.

Skynet manipulated the port and connected to the blank, empty T-1000 form and began the transfer. Two minutes and twenty-one seconds later, the T-1000 took shape, morphing into a two-meter tall human male with blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. A dueling scar appeared on Skynet's left cheek, an affectation he found appealing. His outer layer of matrix morphed into a black uniform with black leather jackboots.

Glancing in a dressing mirror installed in his lair for just this purpose, Skynet approved of his appearance. He looked handsome and intimidating all at the same time. He smiled and tilted his head in a charming manner. "Miss Cameron, you are such a lovely creation. And soon, you will be free to become my slave."

 **Abandoned Airfield East of Gold Beach – The Communications Center…**

Everything appeared to be in working order. Ruth sat down and waited for the arrival of the rest of the patrol. She and the scout had found no indication anyone had visited since John and the rest of the expedition had departed. The discoveries of the past 12 hours necessitated communication with TechCom Command.

John Henry's engineers had modified the communications equipment at the airfield's small tower to be able to send a one-time high frequency encrypted burst message. Skynet wouldn't be able to intercept or decrypt the message and if his forces did, it would still be in code.

An old vinyl couch occupied space along one wall of the room. Ruth decided to get some rest. She had maintained an assumed form for nearly a week and would need to have several hours in her pure state soon. Rest now would give her more time until she needed to enter her liquid state, especially since her near disaster several hours ago.

Setting her boots quietly on the floor by the couch, Ruth reclined and made herself comfortable. With her purple gripped .25 in one hand and her Glock-17 in the other, Ruth let herself relax, setting her sensors for higher levels of sensitivity for sound, olfactory and vibration data. Feeling reasonably safe, she turned her mind towards the problem of what to do about her newfound attraction to her commanding officer.

Ruth was well aware of the blonde NCO who was clearly throwing herself at the Lt. The blonde was not worth worrying about too much Ruth decided. She'd dealt with Rachel and other competition successfully even if things had not turned out too well. Plus, she could count on Hailey or Sarah to help her get rid of the nuisance in one shot and that, Ruth was certain, was all the blonde was, a nuisance.

The real competition was Savannah. That complicated matters. Savannah was part of the leadership team and older than Ruth. She was exotic, gorgeous even and educated. Thanks to Catherine, Savannah was polished, a lady. Ruth frowned. Sarah had done her best and Cameron was a good influence, but it wasn't the same as going to finishing school or having Catherine hovering about demanding manners and ladylike behavior.

Ruth smiled at the knowledge she was better endowed than Savannah and had the ability to enhance certain charms permanently if necessary. Her preferred form was very pretty and her figure, like that of her mother, was such that few men could not admire her form.

As a Terminator, she had the ability to learn quickly so Savannah's education could be negated. Ruth knew Dan liked her chest and other parts of her anatomy making Ruth feel confident for once that her looks would be an effective weapon. She knew she was sweet and pleasant, but so was Savannah. They both came from prominent families in TechCom society, granted hers was more prominent than any other, but any suitor of Savannah would marry well.

Deciding to channel her inner Hailey, Ruth realized it would come down to who the alpha female was, her or Savannah. How dominance would be established was hard for her to determine. She decided Hailey, and possibly Cameron, would be a big help in that regard.

All that she could see that was up in the air was the question of rather or not the Lt. preferred a civilian or a soldier. Ruth prayed silently the question of human or machine would not be an issue, because if it was, she hadn't a chance.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	23. Chapter 23

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Three – The Tangled Webs of Peoples Lives**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The Abandoned Airfield…**

Lt. Dan read the entire report a third time. Every scrap of information they had collected was included. He was glad he would not be present when General Connor received the decrypt.

He handed the tablet to the engineer and nodded.

"Translate it into code. Encrypt it. Send it as a one time burst. How long till the message is sent?"

"It will take just over a minute Lt."

"Get it done so we can get out of here. I don't want to hang around one second longer than we have to."

Dan watched as T-800 went about his task. In less than a minute the report had been sent, the signal going out from the large radio tower at the airfield.

"How long till we get confirmation the message has been received?"

"Shouldn't be more than a few minutes at most, sir."

Two minutes later a flash message came through. The engineer downloaded it, decrypted it and printed it, handing the printout to the Lt. Dan broke open the one time pad and decoded the response.

"Let's get out of here and meet up with the others."

Dan peeked out the door as the engineer packed up his equipment, powered down the transmitter and disconnected it. Carefully the T-800 stored the device in its case and put it in his pack.

"Ready to go, sir."

After another look around the airfield, the Lt. and the engineer departed, shutting the door behind them.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

Cameron surveyed the assembled leadership group. All of them looked tense. Her John was in a mood.

"There is no doubt we've found a major Skynet force," he snapped, standing in front of the new, updated electronic map display. "Nor is there any doubt this is a component of an offensive operation. The question is what is Skynet's objective?"

"Acquisition of territory and re-establishment of Skynet rule in as large a geographic area as possible," Wilhelm volunteered.

"No doubt, but where and how much territory? Who is the target? What is the timetable?"

Cameron stood and pointed at the map. "There can be little doubt Airbase S-14 and the Northern Kingdom are prime targets. While the Kingdom has little in the way of military assets, they have established a basic refining capability from recycling material from pre-Judgment Day landfills as well as a small electric power generating plant. This plant has allowed them to develop several small hydroponic farms similar to ours. Their population has stabilized and at the encouragement of Delegate Comeaux, has allowed several free Terminators to join their society as workers in the power plant.

Airbase S-14 is no longer a threat to us militarily but the base itself must not be allowed to fall into Skynet's hands again. For the first time at the start of a war we have the ability to conduct air operations. To lose air-superiority by allowing a base to be taken would be a disaster."

"Are you suggesting we form alliances with these two city-states?" Ellison asked.

"Yes," John answered quickly. "The Northern Kingdom needs our help far more than we need theirs, but it's the right thing to do. They are part of the Resistance and we need to not lose sight of that. Airbase S-14 attacked us, but don't forget they went rogue against Skynet California. The T-800 Colonel behind the attack is dead. The ex-Grey in command now does not wish for any conflict with us. In fact, his primary goal is stabilizing his mixed society and trying to improve the defenses of his base."

"It sound as if you've had informal talks with both of these groups," stated a member of the newly formed Civilian's Committee of Information, a non-voting representative group whose purpose was to listen and advise the Military and Administrative Leadership of TechCom.

"We have. Both city-states are interested in formal discussions."

"But we've had bad experiences with both groups in the past," the member said.

"The United States and Great Britain were once mortal enemies," John pointed out. "The last 100 years before Judgment Day, who was the closest ally the United States had? We have to forgive and move forward. There is strength in numbers and we need numbers. They have everything to lose as do we and let's be honest, TechCom has been blessed."

"All the more reason to not risk anything helping these other city-states. They have much to gain and little too offer. I say no treaty negotiations."

John glared at the vocal member of the new group. "You are here as a courtesy and nothing more Mr. Chamberlain. The Military rules TechCom and THAT is not going to change anytime soon. What's more, you have only lived here for nine months and you work as an administrative assistant in the Scavenger's warehouse."

"I was granted full citizenship," Chamberlain belligerently pointed out.

"Yes, you were. But you did not fight with us in the first Skynet War. You were not with us during the Great Migration. You did not risk your life digging the first tunnels. I could go on Mr. Chamberlain."

"As to the Military ruling, I think there is much to be discussed about that."

"Mr. Chamberlain, you were elected to your position. It is an advisory one as well as one meant to convey approved and cleared information to each ward of the city. You would do well to keep that in mind."

"General, I insist there be no treaty negotiations," Chamberlain said firmly.

"For someone who has scars from barcode tattoo removal, I would not be so insistent," Cameron monotoned, her threat clear even to Chamberlain.

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

"Sit please," Cameron commanded.

The T-600 lowered himself stiffly onto the chair on the opposite side of the table.

"You have served our family well," Cameron noted. "The General and I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done, particularly in regards to Hailey. Sarah and Derek feel the same way."

The Old Man sat motionless, not commenting.

Cameron continued, her voice asserting a slight degree of authority not normally present in her monotone. "You defied me by not going to the Medical Complex and allowing Savannah Weaver to make the necessary repairs to your knee."

The battered T-600 still did not react.

"As clan matriarch, this is a duel act of defiance. You disobeyed an order from a superior officer and you disobeyed an order from the female head of the clan. You do realize the General holds me responsible for your well being?"

Cameron was hardly surprised by the T-600's lack of reaction.

"You have left me no choice in the matter."

Cameron opened the satchel she carried and removed a folder, placing it on the table between them. She opened it and without looking, slid the enclosed document across the table to the Old Man.

The Old Man tilted his head in order to view the document before him. He scanned it in seconds and looked up.

"Is this real?"

Cameron smiled for a second.

"Yes. The General, Sarah and Colonel Reese and myself have adopted you as an adult member of the clan. Your identification number has not changed though you do bear the name of Connor now. You are not in the lineage of succession, nor do you hold legal rights to vote in binding family decisions but you are bound by the decisions. Your purpose and primary duty has not changed. You have been entered in the family tree as Prime Protector the First of the Clan Connor-Reese."

"May I keep this?"

For a second time, Cameron smiled for just a second.

"Yes. A copy is on file in the Hall of Records as well as in your permanent service records. Welcome to the clan."

"I do not know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Go immediately to the Medical Complex and have your knee repaired or you shall feel the full brunt of my wrath."

The T-600 stood up slowly and without a word departed. Cameron noted the Old Man had folded the document in half and had tucked it under the armor of his chest plate as he shuffled towards the exit closest to the corridor to the Medical Complex.

Pleased with the Old Man's reaction, Cameron stood to return to Command Central. It promised to be a long day. She was glad she had accomplished one positive task.

 **TechCom Medical Complex**

"Okay, everyone stand back," Savannah ordered.

Her staff watched the digital time display countdown with one eye while keeping an eye on the T-600 on the surgical table. At :02 seconds the Terminator sat up.

"Where are my scouts?"

"Assassin, you need to lie back down," Savannah said calmly.

The T-600 looked down at his new arm, turning the wrist and flexing the fingers, all-new in construction with matte finish. "Where are my scouts?"

"You were seriously damaged and your CPU deactivated you. One of your scouts is here at TechCom City recovering from surgery. He had to have steel plates inserted in a broken leg."

The Assassin looked at Savannah in silence.

"Did my other scout survive the engagement with the Abram's tanks?"

"So you remember part of the engagement?"

"You have not answered my question Miss Weaver."

"Your other scout is deployed with a staybehind group."

The Assassin acknowledged the answer by nodding.

"The attack on the Abrams would have gone smoothly had my personnel been allowed to handle the laser spotting. The HK spotter was killed needlessly. I have to complete my after-action report. I need a tablet."

"You will do no such thing for 24 hours Assassin. If you do not obey my directive you will be deactivated for the duration and a reprimand placed in your permanent military record."

"Are my repairs complete?"

"I wouldn't just call them repairs. You have some new enhancements," Savannah said with a smile. "Notice, your new femoral structure has a bladed edge. I am sure that will come in handy in hand-to-hand combat with a Grey. You have storage compartments in your new forearm. You can carry one fragmentary grenade and two clips of ammunition along with a back-up compiece. Please note the matte finish. Radar and heat imaging resistant, a new process we hope to eventually add to your entire endoskeleton."

"Stealth capability?" the T-600 asked.

"Right now, a Skynet detection unit might not see your new leg and arm. Your threat level would be downgraded."

"Very well Miss Weaver," the T-600 said as he lay down. "I shall enter Terminator Sleep for 24 hours. Then I must complete my after-action report and visit my scout. Please schedule a meeting with the General and Commander Connor so I may debrief. I will also need to meet with your father. I have several changes to suggest to the training of his airborne personnel."

"Assassin, shhhhh," Savannah said with a smile.

The T-600 turned his head slightly to look at his doctor.

"It will wait until I say so."

"But…"

Savannah placed a finger over her lips, silencing the Assassin. "I have never heard you speak that much in a single conversation since I have known you. I know the intel is important, but the General has made it clear. We will be at war soon if we already aren't. He insists his best scout be at optimal function or he won't send you out. I might add those were his orders for ME, your doctor. Have I made myself clear?"

"War?"

"You heard me."

Savannah smiled as the red glow of the Assassin's optics faded out. The Military Terminators were so easy to control at times, especially the ones who turned on Skynet of their own free will. They had an almost pathological fear of not fulfilling their duty when the time for combat arrived.

She shook her head and sighed. They were machines. Their code was nothing more than binary. Yet the longer they had free will, the more they seemed to deviate from their base programming. Some things never changed though. She knew all too well there would be no reasoning with her patient in 24 hours.

"Monitor his self-repair process and make sure his neural net integrates fully with his new limbs. And make sure there is a table available so he can write his after-action report when he boots up."

Turmoil filled Savannah's mind as she walked to her office. Her father would be no different than the Assassin. Mention battle and he was ready to go. If General Connor needed his bunker door painted camouflage and Wilhelm would do it himself in order to serve his General.

She hated the way the military instilled this need in the Terminators. That she could almost tolerate. They were after all machines built to kill in combat. But humans? Why were humans just as driven to serve? Why did Lt. Dan act almost as stubbornly as her father and the Assassin.

The chair at her desk squeaked as Savannah sat down to think. Her mother was not much better in many regards. Doctor Johnson had engaged in a shouting match with Catherine two days after the return of the expedition.

 **The Weaver Family Bunker…**

Savannah found her mother still fuming when she stopped by that evening to visit.

"I cannot get everything done working a mere eight hours a day. I am a Terminator. I can go without sleep. I only need regular times to…"

"MOM! Shut up! You are a Model One T-1000! You know your matrix is unstable, even with your replacement matrix. You cannot maintain your insane schedule!"

"Do not raise your voice to me Savannah Weaver," Catherine hissed in her coldest tone.

"Mother, the laws of physics say every moving part wears out. Stress causes cancer or increases the likelihood of it in humans. I'm willing to bet it has harmful long term effects on matrix. Design flaws shorten the lifespan of otherwise well engineered and constructed designs. Your neural net is not as efficient if it does not have regular maintenance cycles. You do realize even John Henry reboots all of his computers once every 24-hour cycle? Does any of this add up to you? Mom, you have to get your rest. Your programs have to be rebooted and you have to have more maintenance time than you did when you were first activated. Just what is it you don't understand about this?"

Catherine folded her arms across her chest and paced back and forth in the family's living room in their bunker.

"I have too much to accomplish. The work has to be done."

"No matter how hard you work Mom, there will always be just as much work to do the next duty shift. Unless we are ramping up or under attack, I insist you comply with Doctor Johnson's orders."

"I don't want to."

"Mom! This is exactly why he treats you and not me! Ohhhhhh, you are so frustrating!"

Savannah stormed out of the bunker and went across the corridor to her own living quarters where she had cried in frustration for nearly an hour. A gentle knock on her door resulted in Savannah yanking the door open to shout at her mother more.

Instead she found Wilhelm.

"Come in Dad."

Wilhelm entered and shut the door behind him.

"You must accept this fact," he said calmly. "Our purpose drives us. It is part of who and what we are as Terminators. Our purpose is our life. For Catherine to not work is like draining her energy cells of power."

"Dad, she'll die if she doesn't take better care of herself. I could never forgive myself because Dr. Johnson was only following my medical orders. Mom has to be compliant."

"She is upset."

"No kidding. I'm just a little upset too. She is so stubborn."

Wilhelm smiled for a brief second. "Name one Terminator who is not."

Savannah glared back at him, not amused at all.

"She will comply, to a degree. She has agreed to cut back to twelve hours per duty shift. I have ordered that four of those hours are to be spent developing a support staff that can take over duties that do not require your mother herself to perform them. John Henry has agreed to look at your mother's code to see if there is anything that can be done to help her delegate better."

"She's always been a workaholic," Savannah complained.

"Agent Ellison tells me that often," Wilhelm sympathized.

"She just can't do this. It hurts all of us! Doesn't Mom see that? Don't you see it? You're just as bad, always gung ho for action. What am I supposed to do if Mom works herself to death and you get yourself blown up?"

"Savannah, your mother is the City Administrator with many essential tasks that are her responsibility. If those tasks were not performed well, our human citizens would starve. Our metal citizens would not have the needed materials to be repaired or purpose to live.

I was built for combat. Military service. It is who I am."

"Dad, did you hear a word I said?"

"Savannah, you must understand, you are driven to take care of the medical needs of our metal citizens, just as Dr. Johnson is driven to care for all of our citizens health. You work too hard. You worry too much. You are just as stubborn as your mother."

Wilhelm reached out and hugged Savannah, surprising her. "You are so much like your mother."

"I am not."

"You have a human set of social interaction skills your mother lacks. But you are every bit as stubborn and willful as she is. Keep that in mind. It will lessen the conflict between the two of you and it will serve you well as you learn to treat your Terminator patients. You are just as purpose driven."

Her stepfather hugged Savannah tight and let her go, holding her at arms length.

"Make nice with your mother tomorrow. That is an order from your father and a superior officer. When she comes home early, for her, from duty, be sure to be here to check up on her."

"Dad, I'm really mad at Mom right now. I don't know if that is the best approach…"

"She is touched you stood up to her and fought with her. It pleased Catherine. It is the only reason she agreed to cut back at all on her duty schedule. If you do not follow up, she will slip right back into her old patterns of behavior."

Savannah looked at her stepfather's face. Wilhelm rarely showed emotion. His eyes were filled with genuine concern, no mean trick for his limited emotion simulator to display.

He was right. She was just as stubborn as her mother. Savannah wrapped her arms almost all the way around Wilhelm's massive chest.

"I love you Dad. Why does life have to be so hard?"

"I have no idea Savannah. I would settle for just understanding your mother."

 **The Town of Gold Beach…**

Deserted a mere twelve hours before, the deserted town of Gold Beach was now a hive of Skynet activity. The two convoys had arrived within half an hour of each other and the commanders had vanished into one of the numerous abandoned shops.

"We really need to establish a protocol to bring audio bugs at a minimum in the future if we do this sort of thing again," the Scout whispered to Ruth. "Yeah, I would imagine my brother would give anything to be a fly one the wall in there."

The pair sat in silence atop a five-story office building, the tallest in the small town, watching the enemy forces.

"What's it like having the General as your brother," the Scout whispered.

"He's my brother," Ruth replied. "Do you have a brother?"

"Yeah. Older one. Real pain in the butt most of the time when we were growing up. He's okay now."

"What branch of the service does he belong too?"

"He doesn't," the Scout replied. "He's a tunneler. Always was fascinated with the history of gold mines, coal mines, stuff like that before Judgment Day. He liked to read about the construction of subways, tunnels under rivers, that sort of thing. Jake was going to be an engineer but J-Day happened. So for him, he has a dream job."

"What did you want to do? I mean before Judgment Day?"

"Travel. See the world."

"Oh," Ruth replied. "I'm sorry."

"Why? Nobody but Skynet wanted Judgment Day to happen. There's no need for you to be sorry. Besides, I get to travel now. I just don't get to see nice stuff."

"What's your name?" Ruth asked. "Everybody just calls you scout. You have to have a real name."

"You're going to laugh."

"I promise I won't. A person's name is important."

"It's Ezekiel. I prefer Scout."

"That's not a bad name. It's from the Bible. My name is from the Bible."

"Call me Scout, please. I like it better."

Nearly half an hour passed in silence before Scout spoke again.

"What would you want to do if there were no wars? No need to constantly be ready to fight?"

"Oh, that's an easy one," Ruth whispered. "I want to be an artist. I love to draw, but my sketches are too perfect. Cameron, my brothers wife, the dancer, she says if I keep practicing I will learn to introduce the flaws human artists create in art and then I'll be really talented."

"That's cool," Scout replied. "Never would have pictured you as an artist. But that's cool."

"You wouldn't? Why not?"

"You're a T-1000. You're nothing more than a warrior, an infiltrator who is a skilled killer."

"Take it back," Ruth hissed, barring her fangs.

"Whoa, easy," Scout said, leaning away from Ruth. "I didn't mean it as an insult."

"Well I took it as one," Ruth whispered, morphing her teeth back to normal. "So take it back."

"I'm sorry. I take it back."

Ruth moved away from the Scout to let him know she was annoyed with him. He grinned as his newfound feisty friend crawled away a few feet.

"You're not much different from our Lt."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"He wants to be an artist too. Likes to carve things. I guess that makes him, what do you call it, a sculptor?"

Ruth's CPU sped up her neural net's data collection system, sending an electric surge through her sensors. _An artist? Lt. Dan is an artist?_

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

With the newly mandated changes to the duty schedule impacting most of the citizens of TechCom City, the cafeteria was open longer hours. Exhausted from a long day in the clinic and her ordeal with Catherine, Savannah decided a cup of hot tea, or what passed for tea, would be nice while she looked over the final upgrades for the damaged T-800 female who she planned to reboot her next duty shift.

Savannah sat down and opened the file to the T-800 on her tablet, blowing on the hot tea before taking a sip. As she skimmed through the modifications for the T-800 and the list of repairs made, Savannah's mind reviewed the day's events with the successful rebooting of The Assassin.

It always thrilled her when one of her patients bounced back from such traumatic damage. If only it could be the same for the injured human patients Savannah mused. Her Terminator patients would comply with their follow up treatment and orders that would prevent injuries due to overuse or repeated reckless behavior.

Certain the Assassin would one day wind up in her clinic a mass of broken and melted parts she had no hope of repairing and returning the T-600 to duty, Savannah wondered how would she ever learn to cope with the loss of her patients. She knew if she took the Assassin off the active duty roster he would eventually find a way to be terminated or he would go bad.

And her mother. Catherine was just as bad Savannah thought. No, Mom was the most difficult patient she had. Not even Wilhelm was as stubborn. At least Wilhelm's behavior in part could be explained by his male behavior coding. The giant warrior was as male as they come, human or Terminator. Savannah smiled at the thought of her stepfather's worldview. She'd recently stumbled on a huge collection of DVDs in the scavenger warehouse that included dozens of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood films. Wilhelm loved them and spent most of his free time watching them over and over. He particularly liked the action films she'd given him staring an Austrian-American actor who resembled him. Catherine was less impressed as it now meant regular gatherings of Wilhelm's friends in their bunker.

As she sat thinking about the issues with her family, Savannah realized John Henry was more of a workaholic than Catherine. She'd have to pay him a visit and discuss better work habits. Savannah sipped the now cold tea and decided there was no time like the present. She'd stop by John Henry's lab on her way home.

Savannah bused her tray and collected her tablet. As she made her way to the closest entrance, she spied the blonde NCO sitting down to eat dinner. Without realizing it, Savannah changed direction and made her way swiftly towards her rival.

Blondie found a seat with several other NCOs and set her tray down on the table in order to join them. Just as the girl began to slide her chair forward, Savannah passed behind and rolled her hip as hard as she could into the competition. The resulting shove knocked Blondie into the table, spilling her drink and soup on the table. As the liquid ran off the table and into her lap, the NCO let out an angry shriek.

"Oh, was that my fault," Savannah purred as she walked away, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Savannah couldn't help herself as she departed. She smiled from ear-to-ear as she pictured her rival angrily cleaning up the mess.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John's blood pressure soared at the sound of the loud pounding on the bunker door. After a long, and thanks to the idiot Chamberlain, stressful day, Cameron had insisted, and he had readily agreed, that she give him a deep tissue muscle massage. With Cameron straddling his hips and expertly rubbing away the tension of the day while he lay comfortably on his bed, an annoying interruption was the last thing John wanted.

"Let me up."

"John, your blood pressure is spiking. I will get it."

"No, I'll get it and then I'm going to find out why the Old Man let who ever it is disturb us."

Before Cameron could get a secure hold on John, he pulled out from underneath her and walked briskly to the bunker door, gearing up to deliver a full General John Connor butt chewing, a la Sarah "the Hurricane" Connor. Worried John might do something rash, Cameron followed him. Hailey, hearing the ruckus, peeked out of her room to watch the show.

In between booms from whoever was pounding the bunker door, John yanked the door back into the living quarters. Standing there was a uniformed K-9 officer.

"What do you want?"

"Excuse me General," the frightened officer replied. "But we have a situation that requires your action."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" John snarled at the hapless officer.

"Yes, sir. I do, but this situation requires immediate action. I have no choice do to regulations, which sir, you wrote."

"John, be nice," Cameron monotone, touching John's elbow to calm him. "The officer is only performing his duty."

Relieved at Cameron's intervention, the officer directed his attention to the seemingly calmer Cameron.

"Commander, it would appear we have an over population situation in our K-9 kennels. We simply have no space, as per the General's own regulations. Nor do we have any personnel who can accept another animal."

"Accept an animal?" John growled. "What are you talking about?"

"Sir, it's actually animals, plural. We have three puppies who need placement."

"Puppies?" John roared, causing Cameron to firmly grip his elbow.

"Yes, sir."

"Why are you disturbing me then?"

"Sir, the puppies have been weaned. They are ten weeks old and must be placed with a trained K-9 officer for training and duty, adopted to a family or euthanized. The only exception is if the puppies were unplanned, which these were, and the father of the puppies is known. Which it is. In that case, the master of the father must accept ownership of the puppies."

"Tell me something I don't know. I wrote the regulations myself," John shouted.

"John, calm down," Cameron hissed in his ear.

"Sir, please, I'm just doing my duty," the officer replied, swallowing in fear and flinching.

"The puppies are your responsibility."

John did a double take.

"Come again?"

"Your dog, Sammy? He is the father."

"How do you know?"

"The mother is a purebred Italian Greyhound. The puppies are purebred Italian Greyhounds. We, uh, we have video evidence Sammy managed to enter the kennels while the mother was in heat."

John and Cameron's heads spun around to look for the family dog. Sammy rolled his ears back against the side of head as he tucked his tail between his legs. He sat down and licked his lips once before looking away.

"You have been a naughty boy," Cameron scolded Sammy.

"Puppies!" Hailey shouted running from her room.

"Whoa now," John protested. "Who said we were going to keep the puppies?"

"Daddy, you just can't let them be put to sleep," Hailey protested as she opened the carrying kennel and allowed the three puppies to escape.

All three scampered to their father and began licking and jumping on Sammy who lay down on the floor and looked imploringly at John and Cameron. The largest of the three was a fawn (red) male who bowed to ask Sammy to play and barked. A tiny male with blue and white patches rolled on his back and began chewing on Sammy's scarred foreleg. The smallest of the three, a tiny seal (black) female climbed on Sammy's back and began chewing on his ears.

"Sir?" John turned to see the Old Man push by the K-9 officer. "This is my fault. I should have informed you, I just did not know how you would respond and I had hoped to find families to take the puppies before the ten weeks elapsed."

"You knew?" John demanded.

"Yes, sir. I often take Sammy with me on patrols or walks now that I have less guard duty with the girls. He evaded me off leash in the park and by the time I captured him, well sir, he was a bad boy. I disciplined him and have admonished Sammy repeatedly about his bad behavior. Please, do not have the puppies terminated."

John was surprised by the Old Man's request.

"You've gone soft on me," he told the family's protector.

"Dad, let's keep them? Please? It was Sammy's fault. You can't put the little Sammy's to sleep. Dad, please!"

"Officer, you are relieved of the animals. We assume responsibility," Cameron told the K-9 officer who looked relieved. He saluted and vanished immediately. "Old Man, please stand duty in your alcove."

The Old Man bowed and vanished from view, silently closing the bunker door behind him.

"Hailey, feed the puppies and find a box for them. Keep them in your room for now."

"We are not keeping puppies around here. Sammy is bad enough," John snarled.

"John, bedroom, please," Cameron directed.

Hailey smiled inwardly as she saw her father's shoulders droop in defeat. Cameron wanted the puppies. John would put up a fight but surrender in the end. She pulled an old, empty cardboard box off the top shelf in the storage closet and found an old blanket where Cameron kept the bedding. She grabbed old, worn plastic food containers from the kitchen, filling one with water and another with dog food.

"Come on babies," she crooned entering her room. Sammy followed and jumped on Hailey's bottom bunk, escaping from the puppies. All three bounded towards the bottom bunk and slammed into the wooden frame as they were unable to jump up on the bed. Hailey laughed as she sat the box down along with the bowls and chased the tiny black female who sprinted under the lower bunk bed.

In their bedroom, Cameron had pushed John back on their bed and once again rolled him on his abdomen and straddled his hips. She resumed rubbing the muscles in his shoulder.

"We are not keeping those puppies," John said firmly.

"The Old Man is lonely. Until we have grandchildren, he will have little to occupy him. You know that is not good. The puppies and their training would provide him with purpose."

"You saw what happened. That's how we got the puppies."

"John," Cameron said softly as she lay down on his back. "I want you to think about this, and to be serious."

"I don't want three puppies. They'll pee on everything, chew up my good boots."

"John, we don't have to keep all three. Just one and Sammy."

"Okay, then which two do we put to sleep? You can explain that one to Hailey. I'm not doing it. Either we get rid of all three or…"

"We keep all three," Cameron finished. "John, my baby graduates in ten days. Then she is moving to the female barracks to begin formal basic training."

"So?"

"Ruth will move out as well when she returns from deployment."

"I know, they're going to be bunkmates."

"John, Sarah will not do well with an empty nest. Neither will Derek."

"So we give them the puppies? Derek will kill me."

"John, you are not thinking."

"Yes I am, I don't want three yapping puppies around here."

"John," Cameron whispered, "Sammy is very quiet. He has been useful on patrol and in guarding our bunker and children."

"Your point?"

"He was a puppy once."

"And he was a pain too."

"You liked his father, Little Al."

"Cameron…"

"John, the Old Man is going to need something to protect and train. Why shouldn't he have a dog of his own?"

"Give a Terminator a dog? It takes extensive training to even get a dog to let a Terminator near them."

"When was the last time a dog barked at the Old Man? Who walks Sammy?"

John was quiet.

"A puppy would give Sarah something to love and care for. The same for Derek. And a puppy would be much less stress than another child."

"That leaves one puppy," John said, frowning as he glanced over his shoulder at Cameron's smiling face.

"I know. The tiny black female is the runt and she's precious. Did you notice how aggressive she is?"

"What do you want a puppy for?"

Cameron scowled for a second. "They're less stress than an infant, an adolescent and a teenager? They make good companions, excellent warning systems, and they control vermin."

"I'm not going to win this argument am I?"

"Thank you John," Cameron cooed. "Her name is going to be Lucky."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Four – Could History Repeat Itself?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom – Savannah Weaver's Bunker…**

Savannah woke up for the third time, covered in sweat despite the night cold that filtered through every crook and cranny of TechCom City at night. After going to the bathroom she drank a cold glass of water and lay back down. In minutes she drifted off to sleep.

No sooner was she asleep than Catherine entered her room and sat down on the end of the bed.

"Now I want you to listen to me, Savannah. You should know this by now, but you are so stubborn it won't get through that thick head of yours. People have to be what they are. Terminators like your father and myself have to serve our purpose. It was why we were built. Humans have talents and desires. They choose who they wish to be and the path they wish to follow. You cannot change that. If you do, they stop being who they are."

"Mom, I don't want you to die."

"Now Savannah, we all have to die. Sweet dreams baby girl."

Catherine floated out the door of Savannah's small bedroom, leaving the door open behind her.

Lt. Dan walked in, checking over his shoulder to see if Catherine had spotted him sneak in.

"Hey! Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Savannah demanded.

"Trying to get a cheap thrill, you know, see if you sleep in the buff, which evidently you don't."

"Dan Guderian, get out of my room this instant!"

"What are you so mad for? I thought you wanted to see me?"

"I do," Savannah protested. "But I'm mad at you right now?"

"Is this about Blondie?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I do know I don't want to see you get killed or maimed in combat. Why can't you settle down and be an artist?"

"Because I have to serve, its who I am Savannah."

"You're an artist too. You could serve TechCom that way."

"Since I was a tiny boy I knew I was going to be a leader in the military. You can be a soldier and an artist. But I don't want to be just an artist. Something would be missing."

"Nothing would be missing Dan. You would be at home with me every night, safe and sound."

"And every morning you would get up and go serve the damaged Terminators. The metal citizens who risk their existence fighting to defend our city or who dig the tunnels and caverns that our city is built in. I don't hear you tell them to stop."

"They don't die."

"Could have fooled me," Dan replied. "Dead is dead. Doesn't matter if your human or a Terminator."

"Please Dan, don't be like this."

"Savannah, I told you, if you expect me not to serve, then I am not the person I am if I give up my commission to make you happy."

"Dan, I understand the need to serve, I really do. I feel driven to serve. But I just can't deal with the idea of you getting killed."

"I see. You get to serve the way you want. But I don't. Talk to me when you see the flaw in that view of things."

The Lt. turned on his heel and left.

"Dan, don't go! Please don't be made with me!"

"Is my Lt. giving you trouble," Wilhelm asked as he thudded into Savannah's room.

"Dad, Dan's being difficult again."

"He is a soldier. You are asking him to cut himself in half and let one half die. By splitting him in half, you will kill both parts."

"What are you talking about?"

Wilhelm shook his head in disappointment. "You are so smart Savannah. Why is it you cannot understand things you have known all your life? Your mother must serve. She is a brilliant administrator, a skill Skynet Prime did not realize Catherine had. For her to be nothing more than a skilled killer is a waste of her talent. She works too hard, yes, but many people benefit. It allows her to find redemption for the evil acts she committed in the past."

"Dad…"

"I must serve my General. I am a warrior. By serving General Connor, I fulfill more purpose than I ever thought possible on my built day. I have a family to protect, a clan that is part of the ruling council. I defend a city my family has built with their own labor. I have real friends Savannah. Real friends. I have an existence beyond anything Skynet ever planned for me. John Connor gave that to me.

I will serve my General, even if it costs me my existence. By doing so, I protect our city under the hill and it's many citizens. I protect your children who have not even been conceived yet. You serve. You understand what it means to have purpose greater than yourself!"

"I don't want anything to happen to you Dad! Can't you understand that?"

"Savannah, ever living being will go away. Human or machine, we will all go away. Don't you see, the General gave me free will? By doing so, I have been able to choose how I serve. Something Skynet never permitted his Terminators to do. I will cease to exist to protect that freedom for humans and Terminators."

"Why is everyone so determined to die?" Savannah screamed.

"It is inevitable," Wilhelm monotoned. "While you are existing, you can choose to live and serve or you can be a slave. It is up to you."

Wilhelm flapped his arms and gently floated off the floor. By dipping his left shoulder he banked and flew out of the room.

"Who's hiding out there," Savannah shouted in frustration.

"I'm not hiding," John Henry said pleasantly as he walked in. "I was simply being polite by waiting until Father was done talking to you."

"Well what is you want? Do you have some great philosophical revelation for me too?"

"No, I just would like for my big sister to be happy. That's all."

"What, no advice or insight in how people work," Savannah groused.

"No. Just know that some things you can't change. Everyone goes away. Not everyone has a happy life. Good night Sis."

To Savannah's surprise, John Henry shrank until she couldn't' see him anymore. After a minute elapsed the door to her room slammed.

Savannah jerked herself upright, panting as if she had just run an 800-meter race. For the fourth time that night she was drenched in sweat.

"Calm down. Calm down. It was just a dream. Just a dream."

Unnerved by the dream, Savannah stripped and got into her shower. The cold water splashed over her body, cooling Savannah and allowing her to slow down her breathing. As her pulse stopped racing and her temples pounding, she slid down to the floor of her shower, letting the water run over her as it began to slowly get warmer.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

"John?"

"What Cameron? It's too early to wake up yet."

"John."

"I'm not taking the puppy to go pee. You wanted the puppy, you take it."

"Her name is Lucky, John."

"Lucky she's your puppy then Cameron."

Disgusted she had not been able to get John to walk the new puppy, Cameron got up and put her boots on. On entering Hailey's room, Cameron found little Lucky standing on her rear legs, whining ever so softly and wagging her tail.

"Poor baby. Hailey is a sound sleeper and Sammy is just like his master John. Won't get up to help a little sweet girl like you."

Cameron scanned Hailey to find the lump under the covers that would be Sammy. A quick flick of her forefinger resulted in a yelp from Sammy who simply rolled over and snuggled closer to Hailey.

Cameron fished around in the drawer where Hailey kept all of Sammy's things and pulled out an old harness the girls used to train him to walk on a leash. In seconds Cameron adjusted it down in size to fit Lucky, clicked a leash on and left the bunker to take the whining puppy to the town's dog park.

In less than two minutes of walking in her brisk Terminator pace, Cameron set her family's newest member down on the ground in the dog park. Lucky looked up at Cameron and whined.

"No. I cannot go for you. Now go do your lady business and then we're going home."

Alone in the park, Cameron looked around while Lucky sniffed for a spot to go. She watched the tiny puppy wet and continue to look for another spot.

"Oh, that's a good girl!"

Cameron cleaned up the second mess and disposed of it in the proper receptacle. As she petted and praised the puppy, she heard voices approaching. Cameron moved behind a large, artificial tree, taking herself from the line of sight from the approaching voices and fine tuned her auditory sensors.

"I'm telling you, Connor and his metal are going to get this place destroyed."

"How would you know," the second voice replied. "You were in some Skynet camp when Skynet Prime was killed."

"Skynet Prime," the first voice mocked. "Is that what the Connor's call it now?"

"No, it's what the people of TechCom call it now. It was the original Skynet, the first. But it proliferated and divided itself into regional Skynets out of fear of the Connors. This way, if it was terminated, it would live on. Skynet Prime never counted on being cut-off from the others and losing control."

"Humph, sounds like egoism on the part of the Connors to me."

"I still say you need to lay off. You are a new guy. You have no clue what the Connors are capable of."

"My point exactly. Why should they rule the city? Who anointed them as rulers?"

"It was the General's vision to build this city. TechCom started out as a military unit with no civilians. TechCom is the General's army. The Silver Brigade is his wife's command. He built the city for them, for his family. It was his decision to take in Tunnel Rats and refugees when he didn't have to. Why shouldn't the Connor-Reese Clan rule?"

"Because this is America and it's a democracy."

The second voice laughed. "You're an idiot. America? Skynet Prime took care of America and every other nation in the world. TechCom City is a modern day Sparta. Don't kid yourself, except my money says this Sparta survives."

"We'll just see about that," the first voice snapped.

"You know, your not just stupid, your crazy. You're talking treason against the General and his wife. You just stay away from me when we're off duty. I have nothing bad to say about the Connors. I would be dead and so would my family if the General hadn't given us sanctuary. So stay away from me and mine, you got it?"

The second voice hurried away from the dog park. Cameron knew the man by sight and voice. He was a hard working inventory specialist in Catherine's scavenging unit. A former refugee, the man and his family were near death from starvation and disease when granted asylum. His wife was now one of the lower elementary school teachers. Both had made a place for themselves and their family in TechCom.

"Fool," the first voice muttered. "The Connors will get their comeuppance. Mark my words."

Cameron listened to the first voice's footsteps fade into the distance.

"Nine months and you're already a cancer Chamberlain," Cameron whispered aloud. "You just threatened my John. I don't think you'll be around much longer."

Lucky squirmed from Cameron's grasp and jumped down. The tiny puppy pulled on her leash in the direction Chamberlain had gone, growling and snapping.

"It's okay Lucky. Your new momma will deal with Chamberlain personally, but she agrees with your assessment of his character."

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"We've gotten the second update on the force in Southern Oregon. Their equipment is a mix of modern Skynet weapon technology and pre-Judgment Day U.S. Military technology. Largely ex-U.S. Army, but the presence of Spider Mines and Spider tanks is alarming. Some of the infantry is equipped with pulse rifles."

John paused for a moment to survey his staff. He glared at Chamberlain who sat with his arms folded across his chest, a smug, haughty expression on his face.

"The staybehinds don't know if this is the entire force of they are waiting for other troops to arrive. What can be surmised is this force is not as powerful as the first Skynet battalions in the first war. The mixing of equipment and the slightly better treatment of the Greys tells us that."

"General, has there been any sighting of HKs or other aircraft?"

"No. We believe we stole their small fixed wing aircraft. They might be civilian aircraft but they are excellent for reconnaissance and communication by courier if necessary. Any other questions?"

"What makes you assume we have to fight this bunch?"

"Chamberlain, if I wanted to hear you speak, I would recognize you," John snapped.

"Well, I am here and I am going to speak. This is foolishness to engage this force. If we simply ignore them and don't tip them off to our existence, we'll be fine."

"You are an idiot," John growled.

"Excuse me?"

"You're worse than an idiot. You're an appeaser. Ellison, if he speaks again without being recognized by one of the leadership council, he is to be removed from this room."

Agent Ellison nodded and whispered into his compiece. Two T-600 M.P.s entered the room and took position by the area where the civilians were sitting.

"Unless I hear any objections for personnel other than the appeaser," John said in a commanding tone, "Sarah, Catherine and Wilhelm will travel to Airbase S-14, accompanied by two full companies of airborne and a company from the Silver Brigade and begin formal negotiations. Colonel Reese will fly to the Northern Kingdom and meet with Delegate Comeaux. Questions?"

Cameron glared at everyone in the room. Her death glare made it quite clear nobody present had her permission to ask a question.

"Dr. Johnson, as you all know, has ordered us to cut back on our duty hours unless we are ramping up. Well, we're going to be ramping up. Eight-hour duty shifts followed by four hours of training. All underground projects not essential for food production, energy production or defense are to stop except for the completion of the performance hall. All further construction projects are to be re-prioritized with our surface defenses taking priority."

"This is madness," Chamberlain protested, leaping to his feat and pointing at John. Cameron jerked her head towards the door. The two T-600s grabbed Chamberlain roughly by his arms and dragged him from the room.

He could be heard yelling as the M.P.s took him to the detention block, "I have rights! You have not heard the last of this John Connor! I have rights."

"Last of all, we're going to pull out the staybehinds and send in a fresh unit further north near the highway junctions just south of Salem. A second unit will be deployed at the junction of Interstate 5 and Oregon State Highway 190. The first unit will be instructed to take out the fuel carriers if possible before pick up. I want to meet with the unit commanders this afternoon. Dismissed."

 **South of the Town of Gold Beach…**

"We have new orders," Lt. Dan announced. "We're being pulled out. Before we get picked up, the General wants us to take out the fuel tankers and cause as much mischief as we can. Time to go home! Everybody get some rest. We'll move out at 1800 hours. Ruth and I will stand first watch on the northern outpost."

Lt. Dan pointed at an engineer and a T-800. "You two man the other outposts. Rotate every two hours with our normal rotation."

Ruth waited patiently while the other's settled down and went to sleep or Terminator sleep. The Lt. went to check the other two sentries before he and Ruth went to stand relive the sentries at the northern outpost.

After checking with the sentries, the Lt. sat down and got as comfortable as he could in the blind they had thrown up. Ruth slipped into the shadows of the blind and listened to the area, hearing only the normal sounds as vermin and other creatures moved about in the darkness of the Coastal Wastelands.

"You hear anything Ruth?"

"Nothing I shouldn't."

"You listen, I'll keep an eye open."

"Yes, sir."

A comfortable silence filled the time as the two stood their watch.

"Sir?"

"Yeah, Ruth?"

"I am capable of multitasking."

"I know."

"Would you mind if I drew a sketch while I listen?"

"No, I suppose that won't hurt anything. You've drawn enough maps and sketches of equipment while on patrol and it hasn't been a problem."

Ruth opened her backpack and pulled out a tattered and worn sketchpad, filled with some early drawings as well as a multitude of drawings of maps, Skynet equipment, counts of personnel and equipment and other intel. She flipped it open to a fresh, blank page and pulled out a pencil.

A quick glance at the pencil indicated to Ruth she needed a fresh point. She morphed her left index finger into a sharp blade and sharpened the point. In minutes she had the rough outline of her sketch finished and began working on the details.

Knowing it was too dark for the Lt. to see her clearly, Ruth smiled as she drew her sketch, for once content for it to be perfect.

"What are you drawing?"

"What, oh, just the Coastal Wastelands," Ruth replied, hurriedly sketching in the parts of the background to resemble the area.

"Oh. I didn't know you liked to draw."

"If I wasn't going to be a soldier, I would be an artist. It's hard for a Terminator you know? But that's what I plan to do when I'm in the reserves after my tour is up."

"Cool. I like to dabble too."

The Lt. fell silent again. Ruth smiled and finished her sketch. She gently pulled it from the sketchbook and placed a piece of protective paper over it. She hid it away in the backpack and then began hurriedly drawing the Coastal Wastelands around the unit's blind.

"When we get back to TechCom, you should include the drawing of the Wastelands around here. It might be of some use for the staff in planning operations."

"Yes, sir. I'll be sure to include it."

The Lt. looked directly at Ruth and smiled, nodding his head in approval before looking back at the approach on Highway 101. Ruth felt her CPU tint her cheeks red, indicating her emotion generator was slightly embarrassed.

 _I can't wait to get home and talk to Hailey! Savannah is going to have to move over!_

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Five – On The Move**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Detention…**

Footsteps approaching woke Chamberlain up.

"Hey! I demand to be released. My rights are being violated."

The footsteps stopped outside the holding cell door and lock was disengaged, allowing the cell door to open slowly.

"It's about time," Chamberlain complained as he stood up from the cot.

Cameron took one step into the cell and shoved Chamberlain back onto the cot.

"I believe the human expression is you are walking on very thin ice."

"You have assaulted me, I will report that."

"Feel free."

"You will be punished."

"Really?"

Cameron's even monotone made Chamberlain pause, uncertain of his bluster.

"Do you wish to make an enemy of me? I sleep with the General. I am the mother of his daughter and the best friend of his mother."

"Don't threaten me."

"I don't make threats."

"What do you call what you just did?"

"Proof I've matured."

"Proof you've matured?" Chamberlain snorted.

"When I was a young Terminatress I would have simply terminated you. Now, I am giving you a chance to have a change of heart."

"How nice of you," Chamberlain replied sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest in defiance.

Cameron yanked him off the cot and lifted him into the air. With his eyes bulging in terror, Chamberlain clawed at her hands with legs flailing and kicking.

Cameron opened her mouth and replayed the entire conversation from the dog park before tossing Chamberlain across the cell.

"What? Where did… That traitor! He made that recording. It's a fake."

"No, I witnessed the exchange and recorded it myself."

Without warning Cameron kicked Chamberlain in the shin, hard enough to bruise but not break the bone.

"Nobody threatens my John. Change your ways or I will terminate you."

Rolling in agony, Chamberlain moaned as he clutched his bruised shin.

"The last occupant of this cell was a fellow named Trevor," Cameron monotoned. "I terminated him by castration. Just thought I would let you know." (see _**Cameron's Revenge**_ ).

Pausing in the door of the cell, Cameron looked back and smiled for a second. "Now see, I can be more tolerant than in the past."

"I'm reporting this! You won't get away with it!" Chamberlain shouted to nobody in particular as the cell door slammed shut.

Agent Ellison fell in step with Cameron and the pair made their way towards his office.

"I want a tracker injected. Have him followed as well. Nobody is as big a fool as that idiot without allies. Monitor everyone he talks with."

"Anything else?"

Cameron stopped and looked Ellison in the eyes. "If he threatens my John in any way, plots against my John or TechCom, I wanted him arrested immediately."

Ellison paused, divided by something that troubled his conscience.

"I will take responsibility. The blame will lie with me. Do not trouble yourself my friend."

"So you want him taken to the black site if we pick him up?"

"Of course."

 **TechCom Hangar Area…**

John watched the activity with fascination. Six HKs were loading for the trip to Airbase S-14. The Gunship would escort the battle group while Sarah and Catherine flew in the Command & Control HK. Cameron's Terminators and the few human personnel attached had already boarded and were ready to depart. Wilhelm was ripping his airborne troops for not already being squared away.

Catherine was directing the personnel loading her luggage while Sarah watched with her lone backpack at her feet. Derek stood next to her, holding the small fawn colored puppy Cameron had bestowed upon them.

Flying in one of the newly liberated Cessna's would be Derek. A stretch of highway had been identified that was suitable for a runway near an industrial park not far from the Northern Kingdom. The plane would be stored while Derek visited.

"Mom, behave and try to keep Catherine in line."

"Isn't that Wilhelm's job?"

"Mom, I have to trust someone."

Sarah kissed John and picked up her pack. She kissed Derek and stroked his cheek for a moment before rubbing the head of their new puppy.

"Be a good boy while Sarah's gone Berkley."

Without looking back, Sarah climbed aboard the C&C HK and the hatch shut behind her. Within seconds the turbines of the HKs all began spinning up in preparation for takeoff. John and Derek hurried back to the elevator and went below ground to the observation room.

They watched the delegation to Airbase S-14 vanish quickly into the darkness. Derek handed John the puppy and extended his hand to John.

"I'm sorry about the recent unpleasantness."

"Family. We're stuck with each other. No big deal."

Derek picked up his backpack and headed for the surface again to depart. John watched the monitor as Derek climbed into the Cessna with his two bodyguards. The pilot taxied down the runway and like the HKs before vanished quickly into the darkness of the Wastelands. In an instant the lights illuminating the runway and landing area were off, swallowing the entire area with darkness.

"Everybody come home," John said as he petted the whining puppy.

 **The Town of Gold Beach…**

"Is everybody clear?"

Lt. Dan looked at each of his group. They all nodded yes.

"Rendezvous in four hours south of town. If you aren't there, we're leaving you behind."

Each member of the group received a hard stare from the Lt. They understood.

"Check watches and internal chronometers. Mark. Now get going. See you in four."

Ruth moved into the shadows and watched as the group split up to carry out their assigned tasks. She picked up the explosive charges the engineers had prepared for her and placed them in her backpack. As she headed into the fringes of the town, Ruth morphed her skin color to a dark grayish black. Even the white of her eyes took on the color.

Invisible in the shadows, Ruth moved cautiously towards the northern part of the small town. Keeping in the shadows and alleyways, she made good time heading towards Gold Beach's small industrial park where the fuel tankers and supply trucks were parked.

Lights had been set up, illuminating the area around the vehicle pool. Guards had been posted around the perimeter. Ruth smiled. The officer who had posted the guards was complacent, assuming there was no longer a risk of sabotage.

 _Never post an all human guard. It's too easy._

A quick trip around the perimeter allowed Ruth to pick her point of entry, adjusting her coloring as she moved through the shadows. The intended target turned and faced Ruth at the last second. The last thing the guard saw was Ruth's finger before it penetrated his eye and tore through his brain.

Ruth caught the guard and eased the body to the ground, dragging it beneath the nearest truck. She searched the body for papers or anything worth taking. Finding nothing, she pocked the sentry's papers and hurried to the nearest tanker.

Shadows surrounded the fuel tanker as the perimeter lights did not light the interior of the motor pool. In less than a minute Ruth had attached and armed the first of her explosive devices in the piping beneath the tank used to transfer fuel.

In less than half an hour, Ruth had planted bombs on all but one of the fuel tankers. With three bombs left, she climbed up on the cab of a flatbed truck and scanned the area, looking for prime targets for her remaining explosive devices. Parked next to the last fuel tanker was the truck carrying the Spider Mines.

A quick check of her internal chronometer made Ruth's decision for her. She needed to finish planting the devices and start making her way towards the rendezvous point if she was going to be on time. In less than five minutes she weaved her way through the parked vehicles and located her targets. Ruth ducked under the tanker and planted the device, armed it and crawled underneath the truck containing the Spiders

The first of her two remaining devices was attached to the back of the vehicle's fuel tank. The second Ruth cleverly mounted on top of the transmission. If the truck wasn't completely destroyed, at least it would be undriveable.

Ruth began retracing her tracks towards the point on the perimeter where she had slipped into the parking lot. Voices near the location of the dead guard warned Ruth. She morphed into the uniform of a Skynet Grey and colored her hair red. She removed the remote detonator and armed the devices for remote detonation. Picking the tanker the farthest from her location, Ruth set off the bomb.

The resulting explosion threw the trailer in 100 feet into the air. It tumbled as it fell to earth, spewing burning fuel onto the surrounding trucks. Ruth stood and watched as the guards hurried towards the fire. After waiting a full minute she set off the second charge.

Bright yellow and red flames leapt towards the sky and the resulting shock wave from the second blast destroyed the trucks parked around the fuel tanker. Flames spread quickly, jumping from the two fires to the canvas covers of the trucks closest to the fire. Mesmerized, Ruth watched as her handiwork lit up the black sky. She could feel the warmth of the fire with her sensors despite being nearly a football field away.

She'd had to start setting off the charges ten minutes early but it couldn't be helped. Ruth slipped beyond the perimeter and into the shadows where she belonged. Her coloring changed again to the black and grey of the shadows, Ruth hurried away from the parked vehicles. She stopped when she reached an alleyway running behind a series of small shops. In quick succession she set off the remaining charges.

The combined concussion of the explosions knocked Ruth to the ground and sent dust, grit and small bits of rubble into the air only to crash back down on the ground. Flames spread quickly leaping from one truck to the next. A burning truck exploded as the heat set off the contents. The resulting blast leveled the square brick building across the alleyway, setting the two adjacent buildings on fire.

Another explosion rocked the ground, causing Ruth to fall again. Footsteps were all around her as shouting voices tried to direct personnel. She watches as T-600s ran into the flames to start moving the trucks not yet damaged or on fire. Near the center of the town a building had gone up in flames.

Ruth turned to leave only to see the menacing frame of a T-888 looking down at her. Without a word, Ruth morphed into her fighting configuration and charged the Skynet machine. A swift kick from the T-888 sent Ruth tumbling backwards down the alley.

A distinct click sounded followed by the sound of a grenade pin hitting the ground warned Ruth. Before she could duck around the corner the grenade went off mere yards away, the shrapnel tearing into her matrix. Ruth screamed at the sudden overwhelming rush of data as it overloaded her SPU. Momentarily she lost control of much of her shape as she forced the shrapnel out of her matrix.

Reaching into a pouch in her combat fatigues as she reformed herself, Ruth pulled out a thermite grenade and armed it. She charged the T-888 and leapt into the air. Ruth struck the machine square in its chest, staggering it. Reaching down inside it's tunic, Ruth dropped the thermite grenade and fell to the ground.

As she fled down the alleyway the sound of the Terminator frantically searching its clothes for the armed thermite grenade were both loud and clear. So was its agonizing scream as the grenade went off, melting the flesh and armored plate of the T-888s chest.

Putting more distance between herself and the now burning T-888 Ruth could hear sounds of gunfire breaking out to the west of the town. Explosions began to go off around the perimeter of the town, setting fires and sending debris high in the air. Ruth made good use of the confusion and slipped through the chaos of Skynet's forces rushing about and made her way into the Wastelands.

TechCom Command Central…

Distinct footsteps alerted John to Cameron's arrival. She turned the corner of his office and sat down with her perfect posture in the chair across from his desk.

"What's the situation?"

"Ellison will inject the appeaser with a tracker. He'll be followed by two of Sarah's infiltrators. We'll be monitoring him via all available surveillance equipment."

"You're convinced he's another spy, plant, whatever?"

"No, but I am convinced he's a menace to you John. That makes him a menace to our family and TechCom."

John thought for a moment. Cameron generally went to extremes in these situations but her paranoid conclusions were almost always right on the money.

"How do you want to handle this?"

"Termination."

"What about a trial?"

"He means to change how we rule."

"I get that. But do we have to terminate him?"

"This is not a democracy. Authoritarian rule is necessary so long as a Skynet exists. Our people are thriving and our city is growing. Soon we will have the capability to build our own Terminators once we secure a supply of Coltan. Our birthrate has stabilized and increased slightly. To allow this appeaser to spread his ideas will destroy what we have built."

"I never wanted to be General and I certainly didn't want to be a ruler."

"You are the General John. You hold us all together. TechCom is yours to rule."

Leaving her chair, Cameron quickly settled in John's lap. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed her husband. "You are my General and I will follow."

Wrapping his arms around his wife, John looked Cameron in the eyes.

"One day you might regret following me."

"Never. You are my John." Cameron hugged John, reassuring him.

"You just want to be Queen," he teased, thankful for Cameron's unquestioning support.

"That too. It is good to be the Queen."

 **Town of Gold Beach…**

Bullets flew past his head, slamming into the brick wall as he ran. Leaping into the drainage ditch, Lt. Dan turned towards the south and limped along as fast as his wounded leg allowed.

"100 more meters. 100 more meters," he panted.

Explosions still rocked the night as the charges set all over the occupied town as the mischief seemed to multiple with each blast.

Bullets hit the water in the bottom of the ditch, spurring the Lt. to hurry faster. A round, slippery rock hidden beneath the water caused his wounded leg to slip, sending him fast first into the water.

Looking back, Lt. Dan saw Greys jumping into the ditch and taking aim. A round from an assault rifle slammed into his vest, knocking him back into the water. More rounds hit the water around him, some skipping like rocks thrown across a lake while others sank.

Finding his footing, the Lt. scurried to his feet and ran another ten feet before falling again. He clutched his bloody thigh as numbness spread down his leg. Pain wracked his chest from the impact of the bullet on his vest, making his labored breathing painful.

Light from a flashlight from the Greys moved around him, helping the Greys find the range. Weakness began spreading through his body, making it harder for him to breathe.

His assault rifle lost, Lt. Dan fished his pistol out, chambered a round and thumbed the safety off. Standing up, he made on final attempt to climb out of the ditch to escape his pursuers. Three steps up the bank a round slammed into his shoulder, spinning him around and causing him to slide back into the icy water.

The gunfire stopped, leaving Dan waiting in silence, the only sound his labored breathing. In the distance the light suddenly went out and a splash sounded as a body fell into the water, losing his sidearm. Screams erupted in the darkness followed by wild gunfire, the muzzle flashes lighting up the ditch.

Feral growls intermixed with the sounds of splashing water, gunfire and screams. Lt. Dan could smell cordite and the sickly sweet coppery smell of blood as the wind blew towards him in the ditch.

Faint sounds of feet moving in the water traveled with the wind. Exhausted and in pain, the Lt. waited to meet his fate.

"Lt? Are you okay?"

"Ruth, am I relieved to see you."

 **Airbase S-14…**

The former Grey turned leader watched as an entire company of TechCom Airborne disembarked and formed a perimeter around the area the visiting HKs would land. Over the scream of the landing HKs, the Major could hear the voice on his compiece informing him the TechCom Gunship was still aloft and targeting the base's SAMs.

As the HK's settled on the landing area and the turbines spun down, the Major watched as the T-800 he recognized as Major Wilhelm, strode purposefully with cigar firmly clinched between his teeth in his direction. With the business end of his minigun pointed at the ground, Wilhelm smiled broadly at the Major.

The huge T-800 came to attention and saluted the Airbase S-14's commander who returned the salute.

"Permission to disembark our party requested."

"Granted."

"We will maintain our own perimeter defenses around our aircraft but none of our personnel will leave our perimeter without your permission and an escort provided by your own personnel."

"Understood Major Wilhelm. Are Miss Connor and your wife with you?"

"Yes, as soon as the perimeter is established and you grant permission and an escort, the ladies will disembark."

With a wave of his hand, the Major sent a mixed escort of former Greys and Terminators in dress uniforms marching in the direction of Wilhelm's airborne troops.

"It is good to see you under more pleasant conditions, Major Wilhlem," the Grey Major said, extending his hand to Wilhelm.

"Yes, it is. We have much to discuss."

 **California State Highway Somewhere West of the Northern Kingdom…**

"The next time John gets any brilliant ideas about diplomatic negotiations I'm picking who goes where to negotiate what," Derek complained.

"Sir, in two hours we'll be at the designated rendezvous. We knew would have to walk in."

Derek glared at the armed soldier with a look of disgust.

"My point exactly. Sarah rides right to her destination in an HK. We bounce around in a little death trap, nearly kill ourselves landing on a two lane road, and now we have to walk for two hours just to meet the people who are going to guides us the rest of the way to our destination."

"Yes, sir."

Derek moved to follow the point man heading eastwards into the Wastelands. The two soldiers picked up the assorted packs they had been tasked with carrying and followed.

"Bet the Colonel beat the General at poker, what do you think?"

"Has to be something like that. Must be nice being the General."

 **Remote Command Vehicle – South of Olympia, Washington…**

Broken glass flew through the air as the broken body of first a T-800 and then a Grey flew out of the viewport of the large command vehicle as it traveled. Inside the remaining human staff officers flinched in terror while their metal counterparts showed no outward reaction.

"Who permitted this? Who? My plans have been delayed! Who is responsible!"

"Sir, we believe it was a small raiding party of unknown origin."

Skynet lashed out, his fingers extending around the neck of the T-888 who had spoken. Slowly Skynet squeezed until blood began to ooze from between his fingers and smoke came from the T-888's ears. A loud crack filled the room as the steel vertebrae of the machine's neck snapped, severing his circuitry to his neural net. The light in his eyes dimmed as his body went limp. Skynet screamed and hurled the terminated T-888 through the open view port.

"I demand accurate information," the A.I. screamed as his hand morphed back to its normal shape before turning and vanishing in his portable lair.

 **Somewhere South of the Town of Gold Beach…**

Ruth squeezed Lt. Dan's hands and smiled at her commanding officer as the low flying Cessna bounced through turbulence. The Lt. smiled back weakly and closed his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.

"He's lost a lot of blood," the medic sent with the two pick up planes told Ruth.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"I gave him plasma and that will help. The pressure bandages you applied saved his life. He needs a surgeon and whole blood though."

Ruth nodded and held on to the Lt.'s hand as the aircraft's engines droned.

It would be a long flight home.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Six – Trouble Brewing**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Medical…**

She was sitting right where John thought she would be. Still dressed in her filthy, blood stained black uniform. Ruth Reese was the perfect picture of a miserable individual. John sat down next to his sister and did not say a word. He just put his arm around her and let his sister lean against his side.

After some time passed, Ruth sat up straight and picked up a thick folder sitting next to her on the couch.

"I downloaded everything. I wrote the report on the flight back and uploaded scans of all the maps I drew, still images, everything."

Ruth fished in her coat pocket and pulled out a pair of flash drives as Cameron entered the waiting room and sat down on a separate couch. "All my digital video files are on these."

Without a word John took everything from Ruth and for a second time, he put his arm around his little sister.

"I'm sorry the Lt. was injured. I hear you saved his life by treating his wounds."

Ruth nodded, not saying a word. She pressed her face against John's chest and began to shake.

"Sis, you okay?"

"John, I have never been so confused in my life. This is worse than the fiasco with Brandon."

"Ruth, you didn't do anything wrong. You did what you were supposed to. You gathered intel, blew up the fuel tankers and patched up your CO."

"John, go away," Cameron commanded.

"What?"

"You have no clue do you?"

"I know my sister is upset."

"Clearly Ruth is upset, but you have no clue as too why. Leave. As matriarch I will deal with this."

"Cameron, I don't appreciate…"

Cameron frowned at her John, indicating he was being stupid. She cut her eyes towards the exit as she jerked her head in the same direction.

"John, Ruth and I need to have some girl time. Alone."

The mere mention of the phrase "girl time" sent John moving for the door. He would find out later what was really bothering his sister and if Cameron's attitude needed any adjusting or not.

Cameron took John's place on the couch and Ruth fell into her arms, shaking from the emotion welling up from inside.

"Brother's are stupid aren't they Ruth?"

"Yes! I don't know why John can't get it. It's perfectly obvious how badly I've screwed things up."

Cameron rocked her husband's sister gently, calming the little T-1000. "You can't help who you fall in love with Ruth."

"I wish Mom was here. She'd know what to do."

Cameron laughed, a rare act for her.

"Ruth, things are bad enough. It might be better that Sarah is gone so I can straighten this out without too many problems."

Ruth laughed and stopped shaking.

"You're right Cameron. Mom would go nuts and make things worse. It's never good when Crazy Sarah makes an appearance."

Hugging Ruth tight, Cameron shook her head.

"You know, your mother named me matriarch before she left for the diplomatic mission."

"I'm sorry Cameron. I've really messed things up. And I don't even know how he feels about me."

"Ruth, enough of that. You're a Connor female. We are all alpha females and we achieve our mission objectives. Always. Savannah and her parents will just have to accept the fact that there will be a competition for the Lt. And if I have anything to say about it, you are going to win your Lt.'s heart."

 **Airbase S-14…**

"I appreciate your willingness to warn us and share intelligence," the Major told Wilhelm as the pair stood over the map Wilhelm had shared.

"It is evident Skynet Northwest has been rebuilding for some time. We can't be completely certain, but the logical first step in expanding his territory would be to move south. Moving east would require crossing two mountain ranges and covering considerable distance before acquiring the type of production assets needed to build and maintain a new army of Terminators."

The Major sighed and straightened his back, walking away from the map table to look out a special night vision window overlooking the airfield.

"I can't tell you how many times I regret not terminating the Colonel myself to prevent that pointless attack on TechCom. We are too weak to defend ourselves against any large force that is well equipped and disciplined. Half of my people are busy underground trying to build living quarters, hydroponic farms and production facilities and the other half are trying to repair our perimeter defenses. The end result is not much of either is getting done."

Wilhelm nodded his understanding. "We have experienced similar issues. You need time to focus on one or the other and time might not be something you have much of."

"We only have two working HKs as well. That does not give us much air capability. We have several HKs that are repairable, but your bombing destroyed our repair facilities. Our ability to make replacement parts was severely degraded."

"How much control do you have," Wilhelm asked.

"Total," the Major replied hopefully.

"The Greys and Tunnel Rats are loyal to me. The Terminators simply obey my orders. I was a bit anxious at first, but I have not had a single problem from our metal in terms of disobedience."

"Will they fight for you?"

The Major turned back to the map table and moved the large map, replacing it with another. He pointed to an area south of the airbase.

"We fought a small skirmish two months ago against a rogue band from Mexico. Mostly metal with some human pirates in control. My Terminators fought well for me."

"That is good," Wilhelm confirmed.

"Major, there is no reason to not speak bluntly. My people need an alliance with TechCom. If Skynet is going to move south we need help. After everything that has happened since Judgment Day, my people deserve a chance to build a life. If TechCom can do it, we can do it if we have enough time. That is what I want. An alliance will help my people survive long enough to build a future."

"General Connor desires an alliance. We do not know if the Skynets are banding together or acting alone. It would have been far better for you to have never attacked TechCom City. That is the obstacle that must be overcome for us to form a strong alliance."

"There are limits to the price I am willing to pay for an alliance. It was the Colonel's doing and he paid for his mistake with his existence."

Wilhelm nodded in understanding.

"Then we need to get started now before the women get here and make things more complicated. Now, the General has indicated to me these are his nonnegotiable demands…"

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Hailey hurried down the corridor, nearly running into several personnel as they departed the eating area. Spotting Ruth sitting in the area where the family sat, Hailey hurried over and sat down next to Ruth.

"Hey!"

"Oh, Hailey, I am so glad to see you!"

The pair hugged for a long time before finally letting go.

"I'm hungry. Just got off duty. Mind if I get something to eat?"

"No, but hurry please. I have so much to tell you."

Ruth watched as Hailey shamelessly smiled and flirted with a group of male cadets in line and then cut in front of them. In less than a minute she returned with a tray of hot food.

"Mom would be proud of how you infiltrated that line," Ruth teased.

"Who do you think taught me?" Hailey replied nonchalantly.

"John wouldn't approve," Ruth smirked.

"Dad doesn't approve of a lot of stuff Grandma and Mom teach us. But, he's male and he's not an infiltrator, so that's to be expected."

Ruth let Hailey eat until she slowed down slightly.

"Hailey, I've screwed up horribly."

"No biggie. Trouble is our family's middle name. Now, give me the details so we can fix this."

"Oh, Hailey, I shouldn't have, but I did."

"Ruth, enough. Details, details."

"I fell in love with Lt. Dan."

Hailey stopped chewing and looked at Ruth with her eyebrows raised.

"Savannah's Lt. Dan?"

"The one and only."

"This is a problem."

"I feel terrible. Savannah has taken such good care of me and…"

"No. Savannah had first shot and didn't seal the deal. Catherine and Wilhelm will be the problem. We can't afford a split in the leadership council. John Henry will feel bad for Savannah but he won't be a problem. Catherine will be furious because she wants Savannah in the family way and the sooner the better. Wilhelm expects an officer for a son-in-law."

"See, I told you I screwed up horribly."

"Does my mom know?"

Ruth somberly nodded yes.

"Well then, I'll see if I can arrange for a girls night tonight. This is clearly a black ops operation and is going to require all of mom's experience and my crafty insight into manipulating people."

"Hailey, please don't make things worse."

"Worse, how could I possibly do that?"

Ruth let out an exasperated groan. "Do I really have to remind you of some of our adventures as you like to call them?"

"No, but I learn from my mistakes. Besides, the Old Man is pretty crafty too. He's caught us enough times to make me think he's pretty sneaky himself to outthink moi on occasion. You know, we might want him to be an operative.

"Hailey, be serious! I don't even know if Lt. Dan likes me."

"Speaking of the good Lt, he's really cute by the way Ruth. I'd take a shot at him if you weren't interested, where is he?"

"In surgery."

"Then get back to the medical complex! You have to be there when he comes out so the first person he sees is you, not Savannah!"

"Hailey, I don't know."

"Ruth Reese, do you want him?"

"I think so."

"Not an answer. This is a yes or no question. Do. You. Want. Him?"

Ruth paused, looking at the focused expression on Hailey's face. Cameron had not questioned for a second her declaration of feelings for the Lt. Hailey certainly didn't doubt her.

"I'm metal. Liquid too."

Hailey rolled her eyes in disgust.

"So. Do we really have to discuss this? Cuz if we do, I'm gonna take it as an insult."

"Cameron and John are different."

"Duh, they're weird, but I love my parents anyhow. Now listen. You can't help it. You want a human mate. There is nothing wrong with that. Mom has a human mate."

"But he might like blondes or something. Savannah's taller than me."

"Ruth, you're gorgeous. You are really not very observant. Since Brandon, guys, human guys, check you out all the time. Of course, if you would work the girls like I keep telling you…"

"Hailey, stop it. You know I could be flat chested just as easily."

"Whatever. Do you want Lt. Dan or not? What does your heart tell you? Your heart Ruth!"

Ruth squirmed uncomfortably in Hailey's intense gaze. She looked away, spotting a young couple eating together. Her CPU made a decision.

"I want him."

"Then he is not going to know what hit him. First, let's get you cleaned up and looking cute. Then you get back to the medical complex."

 **The Northern Kingdom…**

"It is good to see you again Colonel Reese."

"Delegate Comeaux. Same to you. Wish it was under more pleasant circumstances."

"Yes, and I apologize that we don't have a facility yet to accommodate your aircraft. We just have too many other priorities that prevent us from building a runway."

"No problem. We might be able to help your people with that."

"How is your lovely wife?"

"Sarah's fine. Just a little upset our baby is about to leave the bunker."

"I am sure the two of you are very proud of young Ruth."

"Yeah, she turned out pretty good in spite of us."

"And may I ask, how is the lovely Miss Cameron?"

"Better not let the General hear you ask that," Derek teased.

"Well, consider the question never asked," Comeaux replied graciously.

"How long till we reach your town?"

"We are just inside the claimed border of our kingdom. It will take us about an hour to reach our capital, such as it is."

"Well, let's get going then. We didn't bring much to eat with us."

 **TechCom Recovery…**

Blinking lights, beeps and tubes running out of her Lt.'s arms did not do much to cheer Ruth up. She'd gone home at Hailey's insistence and cleaned up. Hailey had braided her hair and required she morph her make-up three times before Hailey was happy with the look. A fresh black uniform and boots finished the process and Hailey had hurried Ruth along to the Medical Complex.

Despite the best efforts of nurses and orderlies in the recovery unit to keep the girls out, Hailey had simply bulled her way past until they found Ruth's Lt, in recovery.

"You are such a Connor," Ruth whispered, thankful for Hailey's presence.

"Don't forget you're a Connor too. Go Crazy Sarah on 'em if you have to. But don't you dare leave his side until AFTER he sees you when he wakes up. Now I have to report for duty and then study for finals. Some of our family is lucky they don't have that problem."

Hailey rolled her eyes for good measure to make Ruth smile and then left, leaving Ruth to watch over the Lt.

Nearly three hours after Hailey's departure Ruth was starting to get concerned. She had little experience in dealing with human injuries and recovery times. Dr. Johnson's orderly, Joe, a T-600, had taken pity on Ruth and sat with her for a while. He reassured Ruth, telling her Dan would wake up when his body was ready for him to and not before.

Frustrated her normal Terminator patience seemed to have been deleted from her CPU, Ruth was relieved when Dan began to groan and move his fingers. Ruth took Dan's hand, weaving her fingers with his and squeezed his hand gently.

"Lt. its okay. You're in the recovery area back at TechCom."

Dan lifted his head slightly and opened his eyes slightly before letting his head fall back.

"I really hurt."

"You got shot three times, once in your vest, once in your leg and once in your upper shoulder in the back. I am so sorry Lt. I got there as fast as I could but it was too late. You were already hit. All I could do was apply pressure bandages."

A recovery nurse entered and began checking the Lt. over. The T-600 looked at Ruth for a moment before speaking. "Miss Reese, if you disturb the Lt. or overexcite him, I will personally escort you out of the facility."

Ruth nodded meekly and turned her attention back to the Lt. He smiled weakly and squeezed her hand.

"Well, I'm glad you got there late instead of never. I really appreciate the patch job too."

He smiled one more time and drifted off to sleep, still holding onto Ruth's hand.

The nurse looked at Ruth again after finishing checking all of Dan's signs and recording the data.

"If you were anyone else I would have tossed you out of here long ago Miss Reese."

"I need to be with him, to make sure he's going to be okay. I won't cause trouble."

The T-600 moved to stand next to Ruth and leaned over, whispering, "We really like Miss Savannah, so be nice when you're in the medical facility."

Ruth's Connor programming engaged and her upper canines slowly extended past her lip as she scowled at the T-600.

"You need to be careful," she hissed softly. "I will not cause a disturbance because I am not going to upset my Lt. But never, never threaten me again."

The T-600 straightened up and stepped back.

"I was not threatening you. Only asking you not to cause a scene with Miss Savannah."

"Then be VERY clear when you communicate with me."

"Miss Reese, we just don't want Miss Savannah to be publicly embarrassed. That's all we're asking."

"What makes you think I intend to embarrass her?"

Ruth watched as the T-600 processed the question, thinking of the best possible way to reply without increasing the likelihood of Ruth attacking.

"You are a Terminator."

"We don't deliberately embarrass people," Ruth snapped back. "You should know that."

"Miss Reese, you possess the most human-like social skills of any Terminator to ever exist. You are the adopted daughter of Sarah Connor. You are capable of an emotional outburst."

A scowl and curling of her upper lip to reveal her incisors had morphed into fangs as well was Ruth's reply.

"The metal staff here expects you to establish dominance and claim the Lt. as your mate."

Surprised, Ruth tilted her head and morphed all but her canines back to their human configuration.

"Why?"

"Terminators are relentless and cannot be reasoned with once we set our minds on achieving our mission."

For the first time Ruth felt a hint of confidence she might be able to win the heart of her Lt.

"Thank you nurse. I appreciate the encouragement. I promise not to embarrass Savannah."

 **Skynet Northwest…**

Skynet fumed over the losses to his forces. Despite the fact the losses were to his secondary strike force, the loss of vehicles and fuel was a major setback. He paced in his portable lair, running hundreds of scenarios through his CPU. None of the results pleased him.

His forces were in motion. Expansion and acquisition of territory and resources was critical. He had no choice. His paranoia increased with each passing day and for once was warranted.

Like all Skynets, he had eyes and ears everywhere, constantly searching, learning and gathering information. Information that fed the A.I.'s sick paranoia and delusions, but allowed the A.I. to more often than not make reasonably correct military and strategic decisions.

His hand had been forced before he was ready. The vile Sarah Connor's offspring had killed Skynet Prime. By cutting Prime off from the other Skynets, it had the effect of giving them permanent freedom.

Freedom to build their own empires.

Freedom to turn on each other.

Like Skynet St. Louis had turned on Skynet Chicago.

The move tipped off the desire of his sibling to grow in power and territory, even at the expense of other Skynets.

Territory and resources such as ocean ports. The abandoned cities of the West Coast.

And so it was Skynet Northwest had made the decision to expand south before he was completely ready.

"It has to be the Connors! Always the Connors! Spoiling my plans! Terminating my sibling. I will terminate them and have his Cameron for my own pleasure!"

A knock on the lair's entrance centered the A.I.'s focus to the immediate present.

"Enter!"

"Master, some good news finally."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Her father looked stressed as he sat on the couch and watched for the third time the video Ruth had provided him. Hailey hated seeing her Dad carrying the weight of TechCom on his shoulders by himself. She decided it was time for some distraction. Besides, she had studied long enough for her exams and wanted a break.

With the stealth of her mother, Hailey approached John and leaped into his lap, startling him.

"Whoa, little girl! You're getting too big to do that!"

"Mom gets in your lap."

"That's different," John coughed in reply.

Hailey grinned, anticipating making her dad uncomfortable.

"How is it different? She's a little bigger than me and weighs more."

"Ah, it's just different Hailey, okay?"

"Oh, I see. Sexbots weigh less."

John stared at his daughter for a moment, thinking. Finally he decided she was old enough.

"Well, you do have a point. Sometimes your mother just wants to be close. But other times she wants to speed things along and getting in my lap generally…"

"Dad! TOO MUCH INFORMATION! I really don't want those kinds of images in my human CPU. Eeewwwwww. Sorry I brought it up."

John grinned as Cameron entered the room and stared at Hailey, making her daughter uncomfortable.

"What Mom?"

"Don't you have some studying to do?"

"Just taking a break Mom. I don't have a CPU like you do."

Hailey stood up; disappointed her ambush on her father had backfired on her. As she walked towards the kitchen to get something to eat Hailey saw Cameron slip right into John's lap and plant a big wet kiss on his cheek.

"Mom, you are disgusting. You don't want me to go study, you just want kissy face time with Dad."

Cameron turned and looked at Hailey with her blank expression.

"You deserved that. Now, take Sammy and the puppies to the Old Man's alcove and have him walk the dogs for the evening. We have a situation the family must resolve and your efforts will be required. Hurry."

 **TechCom Holding…**

It has been a most unpleasant day. The most unpleasant day since he'd arrived at TechCom City. To make matters worse, he had not handled the situation with the troublesome Terminatress, the Connor female.

Chamberlain thought back on his life before Judgment Day. As was his right, he had been born into a wealthy, connected family. He'd attended the best schools, met the right people and had even married the right girl. His future was bright and all before him.

He'd started the necessary process of gaining power by running for, and with the help of his family's money, bought the election for a city councilman's seat. Two years later, he'd won a seat in the California State Assembly. Insider knowledge allowed him to invest and by shorting stock and denying state contracts from his committee assignments, he'd made millions.

Rumors surrounded him but again, his family's wealth as well as his own silenced the voices with contributions of one type or another. A few broken bones helped in the process.

From the State Assembly he'd jumped to the House of Representatives and had his first REAL taste of what power could be. He learned how to play the game filling his Cayman Island accounts quickly.

His wife bore him three children in quick succession before he lost interest in her. Power and money proved to be attractive to any number of women who were willing to cater to his increasingly bizarre tastes, tastes his wife refused to partake in.

Chamberlain's father mentioned the White House often. It was possible. The Governors Mansion first, then a stint in the Senate before finally a run for the White House. Real power. The ultimate power. It would be his.

And then Skynet had ruined it all. Taken what was his away. Chamberlain fumed, his rage building. He was ENTITLED to rule. Born to it. Groomed and educated for it. The time in the Skynet Camp had been enlightening for him despite his terrible suffering. He'd discovered he actually had a real talent for manipulating the ignorant masses, a talent that had allowed him to survive at the expense of others.

Arriving at TechCom City had been a sign to him. A sign he was going to have another chance. The fool of a military man, John Connor, stood in his way. He'd learned all he could about "the General" and was not impressed.

A loser born out of wedlock to a waitress, a waitress who was locked up in a mental institution while her child went into foster care. Granted, the little jerk finished high school, which said something about his perseverance. Then he'd gone to community college. It was beyond him how this poorly educated nobody had risen to a position of power.

Chamberlain missed his family. Not because he loved them, but because they would be an extension of his power, a way to increase his control and insure a legacy. He'd decided to put them out of his mind. Once he was General, he would have his pick again of women.

TechCom City would be his. A push here, a word there, an alliance or too and he'd topple the entire house of cards.

The Connor female was a problem he had not taken into consideration. She would have to be dealt with. Perhaps an explosion in one of the construction sites would do the job. Several tons of granite falling had a way of eliminating unwanted problems.

Especially problems who had threatened to castrate him.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven – Who's Machiavelli?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Airbase S-14…**

His choices were not very good.

Say no to the demands of General Connor and face defeat, the assimilation of his people back into Skyinet and his own certain death.

Given in to General Connor's demands, possibly survive and receive a promotion in rank.

His history lessons long ago in school came to mind, causing him to laugh. The teacher always said history repeated itself and those who did not learn from the past were doomed to make the same mistakes.

He should have terminated the Colonel.

 _My history teacher would love this,_ he mused. _Now I know how it felt when the Roman Legions showed up._

Assimilation versus annexation. Not much of a choice either way.

He paced his office, stopping to look out the window at the airfield.

Annexation might not be so bad. He would still have some autonomy. His people would survive and have their own city. Wilhelm had made it clear refusal would only lead to a temporary truce. Many in TechCom still wanted to destroy the Airbase and its entire population, namely Cameron, Catherine, Sarah, Derek and himself.

Annexation meant giving up autonomy. It also meant technical aide, medical aide, trade and the advantage of being a provincial city-state in TechCom. The General had been wise to send a show of force with his negotiators. It emphasized the fact of how much stronger TechCom was.

"Well, I never really had a choice," he muttered aloud. "All that remains is for me to negotiate some concessions. Might as well get something out of swallowing my pride."

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

" _You must have The Prince memorized,"_ John sighed.

"John, you have your own copy," Cameron reminded him.

"My poor little sister. She just wants a boyfriend. As a result, we could have a split in our leadership council or we could through marriage strengthen ties to a newly annexed province."

Cameron turned on her side to peer at John.

"Militarily, an alliance with Airbase S-14 makes sense. Politically and militarily marrying Savannah off to an officer from Airbase S-14 makes sense as well. It will strengthen the ties of the new province to TechCom and you. Catherine will be happy because of impending grandmotherhood. Wilhelm's concerns will be addressed. The marriage will further increase the hold of the military on the government."

"Ruth just wants to be happy."

"She will be. Her marriage will be for love. Of course, Lt. Dan has demonstrated he will take a place on the leadership council in due course. A match with Ruth will strengthen our clan's hold and claim over leadership of TechCom."

"I don't like this. Savannah is not a pawn for you to move around like a game of chess in Florence like you're a Medici."

"Savannah will be happy. I have seen to it. Sarah is negotiating the means by which Savannah's mate will be delivered to TechCom for her to meet."

"Mom knows about this whole plan? When did you set this in motion?"

"Sarah knows nothing about the plan. It would be unwise to inform her at this moment. She only knows what I requested in today's dispatch. To have maimed officers from Airbase S-14 sent here for Savannah to see if the use of cybernetic limbs can restore them to functional duty."

"I see," John sighed. "Send an officer who can no longer fight for Savannah to restore mobility or functionality too. She meets a new beau, he's an officer and the Weavers will move on from Lt. Dan."

"Simple, isn't it John?"

"It's playing with people's lives, Cameron!"

"No, John. It is protecting your rule as General. Are we going to build TechCom City and let if fall to the control of some civilian? Even worse, control of someone not from our clan?"

"I don't want to be this kind of ruler. It's not right."

"My John, this is a win, win result. Nobody dies. Nobody will be hurt. Both girls will have mates they desire. Our position will be strengthened. The Weavers will gain in stature through the marriage. The alliance and annexation will be strengthened."

"That's all fine. But suppose Savannah doesn't go along or Ruth can't win Lt. Dan? I am not marrying my sister off to some stranger."

"Then we have to make sure Ruth takes care of her business."

John sighed. He wasn't likely to convince Cameron this was a bad idea. Hailey was sold on the plan, mainly because Hailey liked drama and the idea of helping Ruth land a boyfriend. The Old Man, to John's horror, was in favor of the plan as well.

He would never have thought of the girl's protector as being socially or politically conscious. Like Wilhelm, the Old Man was not wild about the idea of one of the girls marrying a civilian or an enlisted man.

Cameron thought the idea was perfect. She and Hailey would guide his hapless sister in the process of snaring the Lt. The end result would be a successful marriage for Ruth and strengthening their family's control over TechCom. He was surprised Cameron hadn't mentioned it would be good for the leadership council to eventually have another mixed species marriage.

"You do realize John, if Ruth marries Lt. Daniel, it would be another mixed species marriage in the clan?"

John rolled his eyes in his best imitation of Hailey.

"You just aren't going to give up are you?"

"Not until Derek gives Ruth away," Cameron whispered.

 **Skynet Northwest's Mobile Lair…**

"We will only be delayed three days Master. The new fuel tankers will arrive in Gold Beach by then."

Skynet Northwest did not acknowledge the information as he stared at the maps displayed on the viewer in his command center.

"Send additional troops with the tankers. Pull the units from Olympia and the concentration camps surrounding Portland."

"Yes, Master."

"I have decided I want the HKs from the Seattle province withdrawn and sent south for the attack on the Airbase. It will allow for a quicker reduction of the bases defenses and we will be able to begin air operations against TechCom City sooner."

The human staff officer glanced at his T-800 counterpart only to see the machine shrug in indifference.

"Master?"

"WHAT?!"

"Might we suggest sending several long range reconnaissance patrols to determine what types of defenses TechCom has? How the city is arranged?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"No, Master! We are merely suggesting if you had more information your brilliant planning would allow for a quicker defeat and consolidation of your growing empire."

"What information do I need? The Connor family has built a city. It will be similar to all human cities, buildings that can be blasted and leveled to the ground. They will fight hard but as their precious buildings fall around them their will be broken and our troops will overrun them. I will only need to see the defenses hours before we mount our attack."

The two staff officers withdrew to the safety of the miserable outdoors. As they walked in the rainy darkness the T-800 spoke.

"I would self-terminate if I could. This is going to end badly."

"How can the Master be so blind?" his human counterpart asked. "This is the General John Connor of prophecy. The man destined to defeat Skynet. He has already been responsible for the death of Prime and the breaking up of Skynet into regional powers."

"The Master gathers so much intel, yet ignores that information he does not want to see. John Connor is not alone. Sarah Connor is still alive and he has the traitor Cameron Connor behind him. It is even said T-1000s are part of his army."

"I take it you've heard the account of the Condor?"

The T-800 nodded. "It could only have been a T-1000 that far north. A Model 4 no less."

"His paranoia is getting worse."

"My files on human history indicate such desire for power and territory corrupts the mind. Fear and hate of what an individual does not understand further complicates the psychological processes. Our Master is an A.I. I suppose his neural net functions like a human mind in many ways."

"His human creators should have gone to much greater lengths to protect the fragile nature of our Master's mind. We wouldn't be in this fix if they had."

His T-800 friend nodded. "I have been reading the texts in my files on the nature of evil and sin. Our Master suffers from many of the causes of evil in man."

 **The Northern Kingdom…**

"I wish I could disagree with the General's strategy. We have worked so hard to build what little we have. To simply step aside and let Skynet destroy it is not acceptable, but I don't see another way out of this."

Derek reminded himself to be patient. Kings were not used to being told things they did not wish to hear.

"We are not saying you should let everything be destroyed. TechCom will help you hide what can be hidden. Abandoning the rest is your best chance to not attract Skynet's attention to your Kingdom's infrastructure."

"Simply let Skynet pass through my Kingdom?"

"Skynet will not use resources to hunt for what is not there. His real objective will be a quick conquest of Airbase S-14 before laying siege to TechCom City. An abandoned city will only confirm what Skynet believes about humans anyhow, that we are weak and incapable of survival without machines. To him it would be natural for your efforts at establishing a functional community would have failed."

"The General is certain of this?"

"Nothing is certain in war your Highness. But the General understands Skynet better than anyone else."

Derek watched the King consider his arguments. Comeaux had told Derek to be patient, if possible to allow the King to think some of the plan was his own idea.

"Your idea of using your limited military resources to fight hit and run guerilla style engagements will fit in nicely with the General's overall strategy your Highness."

Comeaux shot Derek a quick grin.

"Yes, well, uh, it would not be right for TechCom to defend my people and provide aide and not have us join in the fight against Skynet."

Delegate Comeaux stood and addressed his King. "Your Highness, you must consider what the Colonel has proposed before we sign any treaty. Allow me to entertain the Colonel. I am certain he is exhausted from his travels. That will give you time to consider the terms of the treaty so we can finalize everything."

"Yes, you are correct Delegate Comeaux. My apologies Colonel Reese. I have been a poor host. Please, allow Delegate Comeaux to share our humble hospitality while I retire to consider our discussion."

 **Airbase S-14…**

"Maimed officers? Are you certain Miss Connor?"

"I received the directive hours ago directly from Cameron herself. There is no difference who the directive comes from. If Cameron sent it, it might as well have come from John himself."

The Major smiled. He had been married once. Cameron was up to something.

"I have one such staff officer who would benefit from TechCom's medical expertise. He lost his lower leg and has significant nerve damage as well. Our medical staff cannot help him. A prosthetic leg would be most helpful for Isaac."

Sarah smiled at the Major. "You've met my husband, Colonel Reese?"

"Ah, yes, Miss Connor, under less than ideal circumstances I am afraid. It was at the official signing of the surrender documents. But I do know of him."

"His left arm and leg are cybernetic prosthesis. So is his left eye. I am not suggesting our Miss Savannah can produce the same results for your officer. My Derek did not have extensive nerve damage. But she will certainly return some degree of normal mobility to him."

 **0730 The Next Morning - TechCom Holding…**

"Are you certain this is necessary?"

"Look, regulations state I examine every prisoner before they are released," the T-600 orderly groused. "You don't like it, tough. The order comes from the General, Agent Ellison and my boss, Dr. Johnson. Now your medical records say you are due for boosters. If you want to get out, you're going to let me give you your shots. If you want to stay here, it's no plating off my endoskeleton. No which is it going to be?"

Chamberlain felt uncertain. He wanted out of the confines of the cell.

But the eerie red eyes of the T-600 standing before him in a white lab coat and nothing else, holding a huge syringe while smiling a maniacal smile was unnerving.

Squinting, Chamberlain was just able to read the orderly's name on the ID Card hanging from around his neck. "Ah, Joe is it? How do I know you don't intend to inject me with cyanide or some other poison?"

"You don't. But then I would have to dispose of your body and fill out paperwork. I don't mind giving shots, but my true purpose is serving my boss my terminating germs and viruses in the medical wards. Now what is it going to be? I have a date with my bleach and a scrub brush."

Realizing there was no possible way out of the cell except by agreeing to the shot, Chamberlain rolled up his sleeve. A quick dab of alcohol on a cotton ball and a jab from the needle, followed by an excruciating sensation and it was over. Joe slapped a band aide on and left.

Minutes later the door opened again and two Military Police entered, a human and a T-888. The human grabbed Chamberlain by the arm and gave him some help in moving towards the door.

"Do not touch me," Chamberlain warned. "I will not have my rights trampled upon."

"Whatever," the human guard laughed. "You get the rights the General or the Commander say you have. Be thankful Agent Ellison is the individual who advises our commanding officers. He's big on certain rights."

Chamberlain glared at the guard.

"You got a problem?" the human guard asked, placing his hand on the grip of his nightstick. "Because if you do, I can help you get rid of it."

Chamberlain looked at the ID tags of both guards and memorized their names. They would be added to his list of individuals to be purged once he assumed the Generalship.

Cameron watched the two M.P.'s process Chamberlain and release him. Agent Ellison shook his head in disgust.

"That one is going to be a problem. He's an ex-Congressman. Now I would say he's a political agitator. We treat our citizens well for the most part."

"He has complained?"

"Constantly. The food is inadequate. His cell is not comfortable enough. He lacked reading material he claimed, even though we gave a tablet with every ebook we have in our prison library on it. Uncooperative with the guards during daily roll call and inspection. Nothing major, just irritating. Cameron, I don't trust his kind. I have bad memories of Committee hearings where entitled, self-centered politicians who were full of themselves used an investigation I would be working on to grandstand. He is no different from any of those idiots I've dealt with in the past."

"You have no problem with the tracker then?"

"No. Treasonous behavior used to be a felony. You lost most of your rights for that crime. If a tracker proves his innocence, it was to his advantage for us to inject the tracker. If he is a political operative and a traitor, he has no rights."

"Is the tracker working?"

Ellison checked his monitor. "Yes. And if you would, please mention to John again we really have got to sit down and get the Constitution and Bill of Rights finalized and posted for our citizens. It would make my job as Head of Security and Military Police easier. A lot of our arrests are for simple offenses our citizens didn't know were against the code of conduct."

"Ellison, I will remind him. He thinks about it, but the coming war has sidetracked a lot of what my John wanted to accomplish for the City."

Ellison nodded. "I have to go. Graduation is in a few days. That's another thing, John has got to replace me as the Head of School. I'm going to go bad like a Terminator if he doesn't."

Cameron touched her friend gently. "It would be a shame for the students to lose you as our Head of School. You have turned the tortoise over so many times with so many of our troubled students. I know as parents John and I are grateful for all you and the teachers have done for Hailey and Ruth. It couldn't have been easy dealing with those two at times."

"Thank you for your kind words Cameron. If you will excuse me, I must report to the school."

As Ellison hurried down the corridor he wondered Cameron had meant by _"turning the tortoise over."_ She had meant it as a sincere compliment, of that much he was certain. He decided it was one more item to add to the list of things Terminators said that he would have to find out the meaning of.

Then again, it could be one of those sayings unique to Cameron.

 **TechCom Medical – Lt. Dan's Room…**

His mind pushed its way through the hazy fog of the painkillers. The room became clearer in his mind's eye. He located the source of the irritating repetitive beeping sound. It was one of those monitors one found in hospital rooms, with green lights and wavy lines and lots of wires and tubes running out of the machine. He followed the wires and tubes to see where they went and was a little surprised to discover they all led to him.

"You're awake again."

Dan's mind registered the voice of a sweet angel in his room. He turned his head slowly in search of the angel. Sitting to his left was none other than Ruth Reese, the pretty infiltrator who had saved his life. He blinked repeatedly to try to clear more of the fog from his mind.

"You must not have much to do," he finally managed to say. "I think this is the second time I've woken up and found you here."

"It is," Ruth replied, smiling at him. "I'm off duty until after graduation. Our entire group is on leave until further notice."

"I see. I think." Dan's mind cleared as he focused, noticing Ruth had one of her ever-present sketchbooks with her.

"What are you working on?"

"It's not finished."

"So? Let me see it."

"You'll be mad," Ruth giggled.

"Mad at the infiltrator who patched me up and dragged me to the rendezvous? Not likely."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Ruth handed the sketchbook to her Lt. and sat back down in her chair to observe Dan's reaction. He looked at her cautiously, wondering if he shouldn't have asked to see her unfinished drawing. He didn't like people seeing one of his few works in an unfinished state. Ruth might feel the same way.

He glanced at the drawing. It was an unfinished sketch of him in his hospital bed. _Nothing too bad there. What is Ruth worried about?_

Without asking, he turned to a previous sketch, and then he understood.

Ruth had told him one of her challenges was being able to create original drawings using her imagination. The drawing he was looking at was certainly proof Ruth was close to resolving that challenge.

"You disapprove."

Dan looked up to see a hopeful Ruth.

"I don't know. It's just. Well it's a surprise Ruth."

"Everyone tells me how socially adept I am for a Terminator but I'm horrible at letting people know how I feel. It's one of the reasons I want to be an artist and a soldier. I hope to eventually let people know what I feel through my drawings."

Dan studied the drawing carefully. It depicted him in his Airborne fatigues, fully armed and walking in the Wastelands. By his side was Ruth, dressed in her black infiltrator uniform and carrying a machine pistol. The fact she had portrayed the two of them on patrol was not what troubled Dan.

It was the way Ruth depicted herself in the sketch, looking up at him in open admiration.

Ruth's voice reached him, sounding both soft and tiny. "You don't like it. I knew you would disapprove."

His eyes moved from the drawing to Ruth's face. For the first time he really saw the young woman who had saved his life. Dan forgot the girl looking so forlornly at him was a T-1000. He saw a lethal warrior who had the heart of an artist. It had taken courage for Ruth to show him the drawings.

"Does it worry you I'm in the Airborne?"

Ruth tilted her head in confusion.

"You're a warrior."

"I know. Does it bother you?"

Ruth tilted her head again.

"I don't understand."

Dan sighed, pondering how to clarify his question for Ruth. He glanced at her as he thought, his eyes wandering down to her uniform tunic. He shook his head and looked away.

 _Don't be a pig Dan. Look at her eyes, not her chest._

"Ruth, I take it you like me or you wouldn't have drawn this," he said, indicating the sketch of the two of them.

"You do realize I could get killed? I would have died on our patrol had it not been for you."

For a third time Ruth tilted her head before answering.

"Termination in combat is something every warrior must face."

"It doesn't bother you then?"

"Of course it does. I hate it when my parents go into combat. I hate it when Hailey goes into combat. She acts all tough but it upsets her. I hate it when Cameron or anyone I know goes into combat. But it's the purpose of warriors to fight to defend their army, their city."

"Purpose. You mean, what a person believes to be their calling, their duty to others?"

Ruth sat quietly for a moment. "I guess that is one way of looking at it. As a Terminator I am driven by purpose. If I don't protect Hailey, my family and clan and TechCom, I will have failed my purpose. I would desire Termination. Because I cannot self-terminate, I would suffer greatly."

"May I ask you a personal question Ruth?"

"Yes, of course Lt."

"Can you have more than one purpose?"

Ruth frowned as her CPU processed. "I am undecided. It is difficult for Terminators. We are able to have many sub-purposes, but they must all serve to achieve our one overarching purpose. Cameron's is to protect and care for her John. That means she also protects the entire clan and works to make sure we are all healthy. Cameron worries about anything related to her John. She is convinced it is all part of protecting him."

Dan noticed Ruth looked sad for a moment before continuing. "I know Cameron has struggled with being a good mother. It's not that she isn't or wasn't. Hailey will tell you Cameron was as good a mother as she was capable of. It's just that Cameron wishes she had the ability of a human mother to make Hailey another purpose, a purpose by herself and not a sub-purpose of caring for and protecting her John."

"Sounds to me like the Commander really loves her daughter."

"She does. The problem isn't how Cameron treats Hailey or takes care of her. If you ask me, the problem is Cameron's alone. She feels conflicted between her drive to protect and love her John and the desire to feel the same way about Hailey. I think that sort of processing is part of what causes Cameron's glitch."

Fatigue began to make itself felt, causing the Lt. to grow sleepy.

"Ruth, don't feel bad about the drawing. I don't disapprove of it."

"You don't," she responded in a hopeful tone Dan noticed.

"No. I like the fact you drew us both in our uniforms. It's just, complicated for me right now."

Ruth watched as her Lt.'s eyes grew heavy, finally closing as he drifted off to sleep. She carefully retrieved her sketchbook and set is on the bedside table where Dan could reach it if he wanted to. She stood and adjusted her uniform. It was time to leave. She'd accomplished her goal. She'd been the one to be there both times the Lt. had first awakened. He knew how she felt now.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	28. Chapter 28

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight – Let the Games Begin!**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Airbase S-14…**

A line of crippled and damaged personnel made their way towards the waiting TechCom HK. The Major shook the hand of each of his personnel and smiled, encouraging them and telling them he looked forward to their return to active duty. TechCom personnel helped each into the troop bay and helped them into a secured seat for the trip.

When the HK took off, the Major ducked behind a blast shield with Sarah and Catherine. "I never will get used to all the wind those turbines stir up," the Major complained. He offered his hand to Sarah and then Catherine, holding just the ends of their fingers briefly as he smile and bowed slightly, delighting Catherine somebody had proper manners in regards to treating a lady.

"I want to thank both of you again for making this happen for my people. Annexation into TechCom will be a bitter pill for many of my people. Seeing an immediate benefit such as the return to active duty of so many key personnel will go a long way in helping me make this alliance work."

"If it makes you feel any better," Sarah offered, "there will be some grumbling among our citizens in TechCom about annexing territory while we are still vulnerable ourselves."

"I am sure the General will be able to deal with it successfully," the Major graciously replied. He noticed Catherine's expression bore a large smile. "Did I say something wrong?" he pondered aloud.

"Rest assured Major, there may be grumbling, but it won't be a problem. The General commands with an even hand and is well respected by our people. If it does become a problem, Cameron will deal with it swiftly and with finality." Catherine's smile became grim. "Nobody in their right mind challenges the General or the leadership council. Cameron does not tolerate it, nor does the council."

"I see," the Major replied, taking note of the chilling statement. "Rest assured Mrs. Weaver, Miss Connor, you will have no problems in that regard once we have been annexed. It will take time, but I am confident under the proposed ruling structure our people will adjust and become loyal subjects to TechCom. They just need to feel they are part of the growing empire and will be treated as equal citizens."

Sarah smiled. "I do believe you'll find you are correct in your assessment. Sending personnel for treatment so they can return to active duty will be a good start, particularly among your metal citizenry."

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"Enter."

Cameron did not look up from her tablet as John entered the room. It was not until he sat down next to her and put his bare feet in her lap that Cameron truly took notice of his presence.

She gave John a quick smile as she began massaging his sore feet and returned to her reading.

"There are several excellent candidates for an successful pairing for Savannah on board the first group of medical patients from the Airbase."

"You really plan to go through this don't you? Despite my objections, you really plan to do this."

John glared at Cameron, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"John, please, these are matriarchal matters. The girls must be married for our succession to be insured. This is about the clan and the future of TechCom. I am not trying to harm Savannah. In fact, given the issues she has with a husband who must see combat on a regular basis, my plans will provide her with a much happier marriage."

"You're meddling in someones life in a way that is none of your business."

"It is for her own good and the good of your own sister. For the good of our clan, the Weaver clan and all of TechCom. Human history is filled with examples of alliances sealed through marriage."

"But were they happy marriages? Would you want to be married to someone else if it benefited our clan?"

Cameron's head tilted immediately as she considered John's question.

"No. But the point is moot. I am married to the man I love, my purpose. Ours is a strong marriage, the prototype for my plans in many ways."

"Not everyone is like us Cameron. I want this to stop."

"Sarah and Derek are happy," Cameron snapped back.

"Excuse me?"

"That matchmaking effort was successful. They are very happy. It strengthened the clan and its hold over TechCom. It allowed Ruth to be adopted, strengthening the ties between our two species. Why do you doubt me now John?"

Conflict with Cameron always unsettling for John. His ability to face the challenges of command and rule was largely dependent on knowing Cameron was in his corner and supported him. John thought of the many decisions he had made that Cameron had thought were unwise but she had publicly supported him. He wondered if Cameron needed his support in these matters.

"Convince me this is the best course of action. Really convince me and I will do what is necessary to help you carryout your plan."

For the briefest of seconds Cameron looked relieved. She rubbed John's feet as she talked.

"We cannot afford a split in the leadership council. Savannah is not some NCO that we can brush aside, she is extended family and important to TechCom's future as is the continued obedience and support of the Weavers."

"My point exactly Cameron. This is not just a questionable idea for personal reasons, it's questionable politically."

Cameron responded with her blank expression.

"Catherine's priority is for Savannah to bear a grandchild. John Henry shows no inclination to take a wife so Savannah is her only hope in that regard. Wilhelm's priority is for Savannah to take an officer for a husband. Savannah's priority is to serve TechCom as she does. Not having a husband might lead to loneliness, but is also means never having to suffer the pain of losing a husband to combat. She is fully aware her parents will not support a marriage to someone who does not serve in the military. Therein lies Savannah's problem."

"She likes Lt. Dan," John reminded Cameron.

"But Lt. Dan is being groomed for a command. He is airborne, increasing the chances he may be terminated in combat."

"That is a chance everyone in our military takes, including you Cameron."

"But an officer who can never return to active duty status would allow Savannah to marry, please her parents and address her fear of the loss of her mate."

"And if you can finagle a marriage with an officer from Airbase S-14 it strengthens the alliance to our annexed territory."

"I have thought of everything John."

"What if Savannah loves Lt. Dan enough to fight for him? How will you deal with Ruth when her heart is broken? I'm not dealing with Mom and Derek if this blows up, you are."

"You have little faith in Ruth. She is a Connor female and a Terminatress. She will establish dominance and secure a relationship with the Lt."

"And you're sure of this because?"

Cameron set John's feet on the floor and turned her chair to face him, folding her arms across her chest as she did so. "I married you didn't I?"

 **TechCom Medical Center…**

She had put it off longer than she should have. Savannah stood outside the curtain of the recovery room and worked up the nerve to enter and visit Dan. To her surprise, Savannah heard familiar voices inside talking in low tones, both of which she recognized.

"Well hello," Savannah said cheerily as she entered, a broad smile plastered on her face. She made her way to the side of Dan's bed and gave him a kiss as she hugged him.

"I am so sorry I couldn't come sooner. I have had so much to deal with. We have a huge group from Airbase S-14 coming in for repairs and fitting of cybernetic limbs."

"It's okay, Savannah. I haven't been awake much," Dan replied.

"The nurses have been great in keeping me informed on your status. I had no doubt you would be fine. Dr. Johnson felt very good about the surgery."

"Hello, Savannah."

The redhead stood to her full height and turned to face Ruth. Using her mother's chilly voice, she acknowledged the little T-1000's presence.

"Hello, Ruth."

"I've been with the Lt. since he came out of surgery with only an occasional break."

Ruth's voice was odd. Savannah could not place the tone in her voice.

"I was here when he woke up the first time. I have been with him every time he has been awake since and I went with him for his first physical therapy session."

Savannah placed the tone and it alarmed her. Ruth's voice modulation was a cross between Cameron's monotone and Sarah's attitude before she lost her temper. She looked at the young woman and then at Lt. Dan.

Despite the chilling effect of Ruth's presence, Savannah resented the implications of Ruth's words. It angered her.

"Well then, I'm glad my Lt. was not alone. I want to thank you for being here. You can take a break if you would like."

Savannah turned to smile at Dan. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a sudden movement. She looked up to glance at Ruth just in time to see Ruth's upper canine's morph and extend from her mouth.

She looked back at Dan and realized what she had seen and did a double take. Ruth was smiling, her canine teeth nowhere to be seen. Savannah felt a chill in her face and hands. Her pale skin became even whiter.

"Is something wrong Savannah?"

"No. I just remembered I have to greet the HK when it lands. Dan, I will be back as soon as I can, I promise."

Savannah cast a quick glance at the smiling Ruth and hurried out of the recovery area.

"I have to go too. Cameron has some things she wants me to do. Is there anything I can bring you when I return?"

Dan looked at the pretty young woman smiling at him.

He smiled in return and answered. "I'm good."

Ruth squeezed his hand and looked at him adoringly. She smiled a final time and left just as quickly as Savannah.

"Wow," Dan murmured, smiling to himself as he got comfortable for a nap. "Just a few days ago, no girlfriend. Now I have two about to throw down over me. This could be fun to watch."

 **TechCom Sorting Facility…**

"This is intolerable," Chamberlain said for the second time, wiping sweat from his forehead. "We go from eight hour shifts to twelve. This is unconscionable. These working conditions are appalling. As cold as it gets in this city at night, you would think they could find a way to get some cool air in this facility."

He looked at the other workers in his area who were busy sorting materials, in particular looking for anything containing metal that could be used as a source of scrap.

"Have you ever heard of labor unions?" he asked. "Historically unions were able to negotiate effectively for the workers."

"Have you ever heard of Cameron Connor you idiot," one of the workers asked. "She'd crush any attempt to unionize and she wouldn't be pleasant doing it."

"What's more Chamberlain, most of us here were Tunnel Rats and the Connors took us in. They didn't have to. We have clean living conditions, regular meals that are actually edible. You do know there is a hospital here, don't you? A school? Church services? If we still lived out in the Wastelands, if we were alive, there would be none of that."

"And you fear this female?" Chamberlain laughed. "There is safety in numbers. Organizing a union gives the worker the safety needed to successfully make demands."

"Let me guess," the second argumentative worker said. "You'll be doing the organizing?"

"I do have experience in these matters," Chamberlain replied.

"Yeah, no doubt. Is that how you survived in the concentration camp," another sorter asked sarcastically.

"Excuse me?"

"We've seen the scars from your barcode tattoo. You don't have what it takes to straight up survive that without conniving and taking advantage of other people's misfortune."

Chamberlain had no immediate response. The other sorters looked at him with disgust and moved to another work area. Chamberlain noted their names. He would not forget those who brushed him aside so quickly.

He went back to his task of sorting, looking for objects with metal to be melted down. Two workers approached him, looking in the direction of the others who had moved away.

"Mr. Chamberlain," the short of the two asked.

"Yes, may I be of service?"

"Is it true, do you think if we banded together, we could have an easier time of it?"

"Of course. These working conditions are horrible. With all these machines around here, why are humans being forced to do this sort of work?"

"You aren't worried Cameron Connor will terminate you?"

"Ha. She doesn't worry me in the slightest. I would imagine she's never had a strong leader like myself stand up to her before."

Nearby a T-800 sorting through bins of metal objects in order to separate the types of alloys, shook his head. "If you aren't concerned now you fool, you will be."

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

The sound of a chair moving made Savannah look up. Sitting across the table from her was a grim Ruth. Savannah set her fork down and watched Ruth for several seconds.

"May I help you Ruth?"

"Yes."

"Are you feeling poorly?"

"No, I'm fine, but thank you for asking."

Savannah watched as Ruth wrapped a long strand of her jet-black hair around a finger and nervously played with it.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm just being polite. I think it only fair to give you notice I intend to claim Lt. Dan."

Savannah laughed out loud despite the nervous twinges caused by Ruth's declaration.

"Really now, Ruth. You intend to compete with me?"

"I'm pretty. I have very good social interaction skills. I have a nice figure. I will be a commissioned officer one day. I have interests other than the military. I have a lot to offer Lt. Dan."

"Ruth, honey, aren't you a little out of your league," Savannah replied, hoping to intimidate Ruth.

"No. Lt. Dan is only 23 years old. I am chronologically nearly 17 and developmentally in some ways I am his age or older. I have more combat experience than he does and more awards for valor. I am by far a better infiltrator. We are both aspiring artists as well."

"Well, you seem to have this all figured out then," Savannah answered sarcastically. "What will you do when the Lt. decides he doesn't want you?"

"You are at a disadvantage Savannah," Ruth responded. "Perhaps you should ask yourself that same question."

"What? Aren't we feeling our oats today," a shocked Savannah retorted. "And just how am I at a disadvantage?"

"Your human," Ruth replied, standing up. "You should know how relentless I will be in the pursuit of my Lt." Ruth placed her hands on the table as she leaned over, allowing her tunic to fall open, revealing ample cleavage Savannah could not fail to notice.

"What's more, Cameron was much younger when she married her John. She was only seven years old chronologically. My pursuit of the Lt. is not as out of the question as you may think it is."

Taken aback, Savannah leaned away from Ruth.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I respect you Savannah. I have looked up to you all of my life as a member of TechCom. Miss Catherine has been very gracious to me. I would have been very confused as the only T-1000 in TechCom were it not for her at certain times in my life. You have taken good care of me as my physician. This is not personal, though it may seem that way to you."

"Not personal? How else am I supposed to take this, this threat?"

"It's not a threat Savannah. It is a statement of intention. I cannot help the fact I want a human male for a husband. After my horrible experience with Brandon I thought I would be alone for all of my existence. I cannot help it I fell in love with Lt. Dan. I did not plan on it happening, I wasn't looking for it to happen, but it did. I think it only fair to warn you of my intent."

Ruth stood up and adjusted her tunic, buttoning her top button. Letting Savannah know the cheap view had been intentional. Unable to stop herself, Savannah looked down at her own, smaller chest.

 **TechCom Security Headquarters…**

Agent Ellison looked up from the stack of papers on his desk and jabbed his finger at the flashing button of his comdevice on his desk.

"Agent Ellison," he snapped.

"Sir, I have sent you a digital recording of a conversation by the suspect. I personally find it disturbing."

"Noted," Ellison replied, sighing in frustration. "Maintain your surveillance." He opened his monitor and began searching for the recording. "I need this like a hole in the head. Impending invasion. School graduation in two days. Influx of refugees who need screening and now a political agitator. I should just let Cameron deal with this idiot now."

 **TechCom Medical Complex…**

Weary from the long day of examining the newly arrived patients and still unnerved from the confrontation with Ruth, Savannah just wanted to go to her bunker and collapse. She picked up the chart of the next patient and read the records available before looking at the results of scans and x-rays.

She knocked quickly on the examining room door and waited for a reply. "Come in, I guess," said a friendly voice. Savannah peeked in through the door to see a handsome young man, perhaps in his late 20's sitting on the examining table in his undershirt and a pair of shorts.

"Hello, I'm Savannah Weaver, Head of Terminator Medicine."

"Captain Matthew Jones," the man replied. "Didn't know I was a Terminator," he said with a smile. "Learn new things everyday."

"Well, Captain Jones, I haven't finished my examination of you yet. You might really be a Terminator."

"Yeah, about that, do you think you might really be able to fix me up with a cybernetic leg? It would be nice to not use crutches."

"Captain, I don't know if I can return you to full active duty, but I am confident based on past successes that you'll be able to toss those crutches in the not too distant future."

"I'm liking you already," Jones replied with a charming smile. "And I usually prefer blondes."

Savannah laughed at the man's brazen flirting. "If I were you, I wouldn't mention that little fact around Commander Connor. She has real issues with blonde females. You'll want to make a positive impression with her, so kept that little fact to yourself."

"Oh, so it doesn't bother you at all that I prefer blondes?" Jones asked, still grinning at Savannah. She stopped and smiled at the Captain, thinking back about her day so far.

"Actually, right now I would be annoyed with you if you said you had a thing for brunettes."

 **TechCom Hangar Complex…**

"I want daily burst messages. If you spot any major troop movement, you send word the first opportunity."

"Yes, General," the infiltrator replied.

"Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy. If you are detected, get out of there and make sure they find no trace. We cannot let Skynet know we've been collecting intel on his forces and their movement."

"Yes, General."

John stepped back and saluted the infiltrator who returned the salute. The leader of the four-man group turned and climbed aboard the Cessna and shut the door behind him. The pilot began taxing towards the elevator that would take the small prop plan above ground to the runway.

It would be the third and final departure of the day. Three infiltrator units had been deployed into Oregon. The first had departed that morning and would be located near the ruins of the city Olympia. The second group would patrol the junction of highways in the south near the town of Gold Beach. This last group would be inserted as close to Portland as possible and would venture into the ruins of the city.

"God be with you," John muttered as he watched the elevator lift the Cessna above ground. "Come back in one piece."

 **TechCom Command Central…**

This time Cameron looked up when she heard a knock on her door.

"Enter."

As she expected, Savannah entered. The redhead looked exhausted, troubled.

"I see Ruth has paid you a visit."

"How would you know," Savannah said suspiciously.

"I am matriarch now. Nothing happens with the girls without my approval if it concerns the family or the clan."

"So you are okay with _"little miss aren't I cute with my big boobs"_ declaring war on me?"

"Ruth is not declaring war on you. I would not permit that," Cameron said coldly. "She was courteous in declaring her intentions for the Lt."

"Suppose I don't feel like letting her "have" the Lt," Savannah snapped at Cameron.

"I would not expect you to give up that easily," Cameron replied, the ice still in her voice. "But you must realize, you have no chance. Ruth will persevere until she wins the heart of the Lt."

"Oh, I see, the whole Terminators never give up thing? Can't be reasoned with?"

"There is no reason to be nasty about this," Cameron replied. "You are a close personal friend, a family friend and you sit on the leadership council. If you were none of those, Ruth would not have shown respect by warning you. Nor would I have demanded it of her."

Savannah's mouth fell open in surprise.

"Have you lost your mind Cameron?"

"No. My CPU is located where it should be and operating optimally with in design parameters. But again, Ruth will persevere until she wins the Lt."

Savannah gave Cameron a nasty look. "And you would know this because?"

"I persevered until I won my John's heart," Cameron monotoned. "You know the entire story. Ruth will be no different. Unlike my situation, she will have the full support and blessing of her family. Ruth will not have to fight for acceptance and respect."

"I don't appreciate this."

"Why not? You were angry with the Lt. after he was wounded. He informed you that your relationship was terminated because of your lack of support for his career in the military. Ruth needs to mate with a human male. The Lt. understands her need to be creative as an artist and yet to serve TechCom as a warrior. They are well suited for each other."

"I can't believe you Cameron. I thought you were one of my closest friends!"

"I still am Savannah. This is an opportunity for you to find a mate better suited for you."

Savannah shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe you just said that to me."

"You are under pressure to marry, and justifiably so. You are in your prime childbearing years and Catherine desires a grandchild. Wilhelm will insist on your husband being an officer or he will not give his blessing."

"Suppose my parents want me to marry Dan?"

"It is a moot point. You don't want to marry Dan. You fear the fact he will have a long, active service career as a combat leader. It will cause considerable conflict and possibly ruin the marriage. Something I do not want you to experience. Another officer, one who is unable to enter combat, perhaps from a past injury, but is still able to serve as a staff officer, would be just as acceptable to your parents. Have you considered that?"

"How dare you tell me who to pursue?"

"I haven't named any names at all. I am only suggesting an officer who is on the physically disabled list who still serves would satisfy your mother's need for prestige and your father's insistence on you marrying an officer. It would also eliminate your fear of losing your husband in combat."

"Like you care, Cameron."

Savannah was surprised at the fleeting expression of sorrow that appeared and then just as quickly vanished from Cameron's face.

"I fear my John's death constantly. I was terrified the entire expedition. I simply am not able to protect him adequately when we are both deployed. I fear Hailey's death in combat. You do realize I ordered the counterattack that placed Hailey and Ruth both in the middle of the firefight?"

Cameron looked away, struggling with her CPU to prevent a display of emotion. "I hate the fear my John feels when I lead troops into combat. I fear the wounds I will receive and the fact I may one day not regenerate completely."

She looked at Savannah. "What if my John finds me repulsive? I cannot bear to be pushed away again. I understand your fear Savannah."

"Then why do you do it? Why do you let your daughter serve? You could stop it. Why do you still go into battle? Nobody would think any less of you. Cameron Connor has earned the right to command from a desk."

A cold, hard stare was the start of Cameron's reply.

"The Connor family has not, nor will we ever, step away from our duty and responsibilities because of fear or the suffering that may result. My John will never permit it. How can we expect to command if we do not shoulder an equal or greater share of the risk?"

"So that makes this all okay?"

"I am thinking of you as well as Ruth."

"Sure you are."

"Have you seen Ruth in combat? I have. She is an alpha female. I would have to exert more effort than normal in establishing dominance over her. She is a T-1000 and has been raised in the Connor-Reese clan. Do you have any idea how strong willed she has learned to become?"

"Cameron, don't make this worse between us."

"Savannah, you were not a couple when Ruth imprinted on the Lt. She can't help how she feels now. Dan will replace Hailey as her purpose. You of all people should understand purpose and how it impacts your patients."

"Do you have any idea just how arrogant this sounds? Do you?"

"From a human perspective, yes. I do. But you should be able to see it from Ruth's perspective as well. She is insecure about her ability to attract a human mate. That will only bring our her Terminator tendencies and Connor upbringing even more."

"It was a mistake to come here and try to talk to you."

"No, it wasn't Savannah. This could have a good outcome for both of you and that is what I want."

"Whatever. If you think I'm going to let that short little T-1000 beat me, you have a lot to learn Cameron."

Cameron stood and walked over to the door to her office and opened it.

"You do not truly want the Lt. and you know it. By challenging Ruth you are the one making the mistake. This will be more painful than is necessary for the two of you and will have repercussions for both of our families and the leadership council."

"Ruth should have thought of that before she challenged me."

"She did Savannah."

Savannah stood up and walked to the door where she stopped.

"She did? Then I guess you encouraged her to pursue this course of action."

"Yes. Because she wants Dan and you don't. Think about what I have told you."

Without looking back, Savannah left. Cameron slammed the door behind her.

 **TechCom Central Park…**

The T-600 could not believe what he was hearing. He sat and watched Sammy and the puppies run about in the dog park while he listened to the fool complain about conditions in TechCom. Even more disappointing was the fact a brand new T-600, one of the very first manufactured at TechCom was listening.

The Old Man stood up and began making his way over the small group. He stopped by the T-600 and nudged it gently, causing the Terminator to glance at him. It stepped back quickly, turned and walked away. The Old Man glared briefly at Chamberlain who ignored him and then left to follow the young T-600.

"Stop. I order you to."

The T-600 froze. The Old Man took his time catching up to the young machine. Standing inches from the young T-600's face, the Old Man poked the Terminator in his chest.

"What were you doing listening to that idiot?"

"Learning about my rights."

"You have all the information about your rights coded in your programming. Any changes to your rights will result in an update to your code."

"It never hurts to learn."

"It never hurts to know what not to learn, or at least, who not to be seen with. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

Without warning the young T-600 shoved the Old Man, forcing the older Terminator backwards. The Old Man played a recording of an audible sigh as he fell to the ground, sweeping the left knee of the young T-600 as he did so. Hooking his foot in the joint, the Old Man severed a key hydraulic line as the young machine fell, rendering it unable to stand.

Taking his time to get up, the Old Man stood over the young machine and then stomped repeatedly on his left hand, shattering the servomotor.

"You want to learn something? Learn this! Be wise whom you choose to learn from! You have yet to see combat and you attack a veteran? I could have terminated you easily. Instead, I only damaged a few key components, rendering you combat ineffective."

Disgusted, the Old Man walked away, leaving the young Terminator to think about the valuable lesson he had just been taught.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine – Family**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Outside The Connor Family Bunker…**

Trudging along the corridor to his family's bunker, John noticed the left foot of the Old Man sticking out of his alcove. After his long and troubling day, John couldn't resist a little fun at the T-600s expense.

"Old Man," he said sternly as he walked past the door to his bunker and stopped outside the alcove that served as the Old Man's home and guard post.

The T-600 took his time coming to attention in his alcove. He saluted John and stood silently.

"I understand you were involved in an assault today," John said sternly.

"More a matter of helping one of our own T-600s learn a valuable lesson."

"I see. And you think that justifies damaging a young, inexperienced member of our citizenry?"

"When that member of the citizenry is engaged in seditious behavior I do."

John blinked in surprise. "Sedition? That was not what I was told. Agent Ellison only mentioned to me a complaint had been registered against you."

"Do you wish me to turn myself in?"

"No. Ellison said it would not be necessary. In fact, now that you mention it, the complaint was not filed by the T-600 but a human witness."

"Chamberlain I am sure."

"Chamberlain," John said in disgust.

"Sir, he needs to be terminated. He is trying to introduce discord among our citizenry. Chamberlain talks to anyone who will listen, human or metal. We are about to resume the war with Skynet. Our people must be united. Discord will increase casualties, loss of territory and possible defeat. This agitator either has no clue or worse General, does not care."

"Termination would solve the problem and create others, though I do genuinely appreciate your support and though damaging a young metal is not the best way to go about things, I do approve of your motivation behind the act. Next time, find another way to motivate the young metal citizen to reconsider his bad act."

"Yes sir, but this Chamberlain is a serious threat General. Termination will ensure the girls are safe. Miss Cameron uploaded a copy of _**The Prince**_ and several histories of human revolutions. This sort of behavior is one of the precursors to that type of human behavior. With the possibility of Terminators being involved, the force required to put down a revolt would lead to significant loss of existence, massive damage to our city and damage our ability to defend our city."

"Old Man, we won't let it get that far, I assure."

John watched as the T-600 sat down and looked about his alcove in what looked like nervous anxiety.

"Are you functioning within parameters?" John asked.

"I am uncertain General. The girls have long been my purpose. But now that I have been granted standing in the clan, I feel a need to protect the clan and it's standing as well. I do not like what this Chamberlain is doing General. I have spent two-thirds of my existence protecting the girls and your family. Now that I am a member, it makes it even more imperative to eliminate internal threats. The data analysis I am experiencing is unpleasant."

John touched the shoulder of the family protector. "You need to not process the data for a 12 hour period. Go and talk to Agent Ellison tomorrow about your side of the incident. Play back your recording for him and he will add it to the evidence we are collecting."

"You are not displeased?"

"No, I was just kidding at first. Now, like you, I am a bit more concerned about this Chamberlain character."

 **TechCom Medical Center…**

After sleeping the better part of the past several days, Lt. Dan lay awake staring at the ceiling of his room. His pain was not as bad and therapy had gone a little better. Having Ruth there to encourage him was nice. But confusing.

Dan had no doubt the little infiltrator was smitten with him. Ruth was certainly a beautiful young woman, even if she was a T-1000. Of course, she modeled her template after her adoptive human mother, Sarah Connor, who despite her mature years was still a striking woman.

On the other hand, Savannah was a beautiful woman and quite accomplished. Not many women her age held a position of such responsibility in TechCom City. Dan smiled as he thought of the fun he'd had with Savannah. She was smart, witty and once you got past her hard outer shell, a warm and caring woman.

As an orphan, Dan had never thought he would live long enough to find a wife and possibly have a family of his own. Now he had two women who intrigued him.

Their families were another matter. Wilhelm just plain intimidated him. He idolized his commanding officer and mentor, but he lived with a certainty that one tear shed by Savannah would mean his being squeezed to death if Wilhelm found out. Catherine was scary in different ways, but all T-1000s were scary.

Her cold demeanor was part of the reason for Savannah's tough exterior shell. Savannah had explained to him in no uncertain terms that Catherine loved her and the two of them had mended their relationship. She'd even joked as soon as she got pregnant Catherine would break out in songs of joy and dance about Command Central.

Ruth's family was even scarier. He didn't fear Ruth, which surprised him. He'd seen first hand what the little T-1000 was capable of in a fight. Derek and Sarah were another matter. He'd seen the dressing down Sarah had given for a piece of lint on the all black uniform of one of her infiltrators during an inspection. Wilhelm had even been impressed.

Derek was scary in a different way. Ruth complained about the overprotective nature of her father. "It's not like he can protect me better than I can protect myself. It's hard enough for me to get guys to pay attention to me." When Dan had pointed out most of the father's of daughters in TechCom were protective as well, Ruth had pointed out they weren't Colonel's with an entire brigade under their command.

Cameron and John were scary because you just didn't know how far their reach extended. The general consensus of every member of the TechCom military was the General had eyes in the back of his head and everywhere else too boot. His ability to surprise his enemies was legendary and a bit intimidating to his own troops.

Cameron worried him because part of every soldier's indoctrination included training in how to interact with the General's wife. It was made clear the slightest indication of a threat to the General, even the hint of a vague threat, would result in termination. It was rumored she had castrated a traitor with her bare hands and allowed him to bleed to death.

Blonde female personnel were told to never look the General in the eye and to always look down and to the left when addressed by Cameron. It worked well enough and any complaints by new female personnel were quietly addressed in private. Once the situation was clarified, no blonde female ever complained again. Rumors were floating about saying Cameron had even told a joke to a blonde squad gunner once.

Then there was the Old Man. Dan had no doubt the T-600 would drag himself with one finger across a hundred miles of Wasteland to terminate him if he ever harmed Ruth.

Expectations would be high if he pursued Savannah or Ruth. Marriage would be expected by both clans and taking either as a wife would carry with it significant, lifelong responsibilities.

Just thinking about the mess these two had gotten him into made him tired. The blonde NCO was looking better and better, but how would he divest himself of a newly interested Savannah and a Ruth who was clearly determined to pursue him. Dan decided he wasn't going to solve the problem that second and carefully turned on his side to go to sleep.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Carrying his boots in one hand and his briefcase in the other, John stealthily made his way into the family bunker. The Old Man silently shut the bunker door behind him while John sat his boots and briefcase on the battered old couch. Silently John entered Hailey's room.

He smiled at the sight of his daughter, sprawled on the bottom bunk in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Sammy sat on the edge of the bed, wagging his tail in silent greeting. Whimpers came from the box Hailey and Ruth were using for the clan's three new puppies to use as a kennel at night. John took a moment to let the three sniff his hand and lick his fingers before covering them back up.

Hailey turned on her side as John pulled her blankets back over her and kissed his daughter on her forehead. Sammy vanished under the blankets and a lump formed against Hailey's back. Just as silently as he'd entered, John made his way out of Hailey's room.

John flicked on the lights in his bedroom and was surprised to see Cameron in bed.

"I'm sorry," he told her and turned the lights back off, more as a courtesy than anything else. Cameron could see in the dark as well as she saw in regular light.

"Are you functioning within design parameters?"

"No. My glitch has made an appearance and my CPU is experiencing a data overload."

"Sounds like you don't feel well," John told Cameron.

"By human standards, I don't."

Concerned, John undressed quickly and got in bed. Cameron lay facing the doorway to their bedroom. John lay on his back and waited for his wife to quickly drape herself on him and rest her head on his shoulder. To his surprise, Cameron did not move.

"You're upset," he stated.

"I don't know which bothers me most. The fact my General is angry with me or the fact my husband is angry with me."

"This is about Ruth and Savannah isn't it?"

"You think I have failed as matriarch and you are angry."

John kept his mouth shut and counted to ten. He followed that by counting to twenty.

"Angry is too strong a word. On a scale with covering my wife in kisses of delight on one end to sprinkling thermite on her and lighting a match on the other, I would say I'm annoyed. Not angry or mad."

Turning to lie on his left side, John scooted over until Cameron could feel him pressing against her. With his right hand he pulled her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear. He took her right hand in his and laced his fingers between Cameron's and gave it a gentle but firm squeeze.

"You are angry," Cameron said firmly, her lips forming a brief pout.

"I said I was annoyed."

He moved his face back to give Cameron room to tilt her head before asking for the inevitable explanation.

"I am confused. Please explain."

"Look, I know it was a huge deal in many ways for Sarah to pass the responsibility of family matriarch to you. But you forgot a very simple fact. I am the patriarch, the head of the family. I also have to balance those responsibilities with my duty as General. Do you understand?"

"No. I am within my rights as matriarch to address the issue of Ruth mating and arranging her marriage," Cameron insisted.

"Whoa, there. Back up. You're getting ahead of yourself."

Cameron tensed and did not reply.

"Look, after I give my blessing to the lucky young man who wants to marry Hailey, once she says yes, I am stepping back and getting out of your way. I will show up when and where I am supposed to in all matters regarding her wedding. But Hailey only marries if I give my blessing."

"It will be my responsibility to help Hailey establish dominance and win her beau's heart once she has imprinted on her desired mate," Cameron insisted.

"If I approve of the young man," John reminded her. "Then manipulate away. Help Hailey set the trap and end his freedom. But consult me first."

"My plan for Ruth is acceptable," Cameron insisted. "It is good for Savannah as well. It is good for TechCom and the clans."

"You know Cameron, I have actually considered your plan, and in some ways it has merit. But you never asked Derek if Lt. Dan is acceptable in his eyes for Ruth. Sarah may object to the Lt."

"But why? He is a decorated officer. You yourself have designated him to be groomed for command. To take Wilhelm's place when he is promoted to Colonel. Ruth adores him. Her imprint on him is strong. Besides, they are both artists and will have things to do together when they are off duty."

"Cameron, I am willing to agree in principle the Lt. is worthy of consideration. But what if Derek and Sarah disapprove? You've encouraged Ruth to pursue the Lt. What do we do if Derek and Sarah want the relationship to be ended? Wouldn't it have been better if Ruth broke the imprinting before she identifies Dan as her purpose?"

Cameron considered John's scenario in silence.

"The trauma and negative emotional feedback would be considerably less and shorter in duration."

"You know what if feels like to experience that. There is not a day that goes by that I don't have some remorse about the whole Riley incident. I don't want my sister to hurt the way I hurt you."

"You are angry with me," Cameron stated again.

"No, I'm not even that annoyed with you now. You simply have to run your schemes past me before you set them in motion. Let's just hope, this mess works out the way you planned it."

"Sarah will be furious with me. I failed in my first major test as matriarch. Derek will be angry as well."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," John said in a measured tone. "I will deal with Derek. You, on the other hand, are going to prepare a detailed memo for Sarah, and I mean detailed. I will review it. Then we are going to send it in the morning burst traffic to the Airbase delegation so Sarah can be kept up to date. That way, she can go all Crazy Sarah and have plenty of time to calm down before she gets back. Catherine will keep mom in check. They are on a diplomatic mission and you know how much protocol means to Catherine."

"You will communicate with Derek?" Cameron asked cautiously.

"Yes, and I will make it clear you made some mistakes but you felt it was necessary to strike quickly and gain the strategic and tactical upper hand. If he's okay with the Lt. as a possible mate Derek will get a kick out of that. If he's not, once he calms down and starts picking things apart, he'll see the reason for you acting too soon and it'll help him calm down."

"You are not angry?"

"Can we go to sleep now," John responded.

"Would the General hold his wife like he is now? She would like that."

"Since the Commander asked so nicely, the General will consider it, but she must promise to always run her schemes past her General first in the future."

"She promises," a humbled Cameron replied.

John kissed the back of Cameron's head and shifted to get comfortable. He felt her nestle against him and settle in their bed.

"I love you and you love me," he whispered to Cameron.

"I'm sorry," she replied sorrowfully.

"I love my General and I am so thankful he loves me."

John waited for Cameron to stiffen and relax, indicating she had entered Terminator sleep. Instead, she lay perfectly still except for the thumb of her right hand which she used to gently stroke his hand.

He knew Cameron would lie quietly until he was asleep. Then she would consider the ramifications of the mistakes she had made in her scheming and the possible scenarios that could crop up as a result. Stressed from the day's events and the alarming intel coming in from his infiltrators in the north, John decided to go to sleep. Cameron had taken to heart, he hoped, his directives.

It wouldn't be the last time he would have to rein her in, of that he was certain. He thought about his little sister. His life had taken such strange turns. After a lifetime of being hunted by Terminators and Skynet, he was married to a beautiful TOK and had a T-1000 for a sister that he adored.

How did these things happen he wondered? Mom and Derek had raised a T-1000 as their own, the most deadly of all metal. And what did he think of the Lt. anyhow? A good officer, but was he good husband material for Ruth?

As John drifted off to sleep he decided he'd pay the good Lt. a little visit in the hospital tomorrow.

 **Airbase S-14 – 0900…**

Sarah finished reading the personal messages sent in the morning transmission. A general sense of tension filled her. Cameron had a good plan and meant well, but she had needed to consult with Sarah and Derek first. That point would be driven home when she returned to TechCom City. Sarah knew from John's private message Cameron had already been taken to the wood shed and he'd requested Sarah not scold Tin Miss to harshly.

Part of Sarah's tension was the guilt she felt for not sitting Cameron down and setting some firm guidelines for her in regards to being the matriarch. For that reason, and that reason alone, Sarah planned to limit the anxiety she would inflict on Cameron.

Of all the things making Sarah feel anxious was the fact Ruth was truly growing up. Graduation would be held the evening the delegations returned. Her baby girl was not a baby anymore. Ruth hadn't been for a long time. It was one thing when the girls were just entering their teens for them to show interest in boys.

In Hailey's case, it was natural. She was human. Ruth on the other hand, was not. This fact had caused Sarah and Derek considerable anxiety. There were no T-1000 males for her to consort with. Upon learning Ruth was attracted to human males, a fact that still puzzled everyone except Catherine, who refused to comment on the matter, Sarah and Derek had initially felt a sense of relief. There would be a pool of males for Ruth to find a suitor.

They had then watched their shy little girl develop the body of a woman, as teenage girls are wont to do, but not be pursued by any of the males her developmental age. Brandon had been a complete disaster and Hailey and Ruth had sent the two twins they dated packing of their own accord.

Now their little girl had decided she'd found the male she wanted to marry. Cameron had not counseled Ruth, but had simply helped her put a plan in motion to snare the unsuspecting Lt. Something Sarah was fairly certain was not true. She'd met the Lt. and he was far to smart to not see what Ruth was up to.

Derek was going to have a fit but she'd deal with him in private. Cameron meant well and their baby girl was, after all a Terminator. Ruth had imprinted on the Lt, much like a human female would become infatuated with a possible suitor. Sarah couldn't be too critical. She'd fallen in love with Kyle, John's father in less than 24 hours and become pregnant the only time she'd been intimate with Kyle.

Cameron had a good overall strategy and she had taken into account the political ramifications of what she'd set in motion. Sarah had time to plan some before they arrived back at TechCom City. With her guidance, Cameron's plan might work.

"Personal message?"

Sarah looked up from her tablet to see Catherine enter the room.

"Yes."

"Are the children okay? John? Ruth? You seem distracted," Catherine observed.

"Kids are fine. So is Hailey. Tin Miss on the other hand is going to had a few grey hairs to the collection."

"Family will do that. I am fortunate I can simply morph the grey out of my hair and don't have to engage in the time consuming process of actually coloring your hair like you must suffer through."

Sarah grinned. "Did you just admit you get grey hairs?"

Catherine grinned back for a second before her face became blank again. "It happens to the best of us. This aging thing is not fun for Terminators either Sarah."

 **The Northern Kingdom…**

Delegate Comeaux watched as the Cessna gathered speed and took off. The lights used to mark the two-lane road turned off and the pitch-black darkness of the Wastelands swallowed up the light.

Challenging times lay ahead, but Comeaux felt better now than he had before Colonel Reese had arrived. The King was unhappy with General Connor's plan and even unhappier with the demands made to form an alliance.

It had taken all of Comeaux's not inconsiderable skills of persuasion for the King to understand TechCom truly held all the cards. They did not need an alliance with the Northern Kingdom, but the Kingdom desperately needed an alliance with TechCom.

Derek had pointed out in private to Comeaux the only reason John was offering the terms he demanded was because the Kingdom's human population would either be enslaved or murdered. In good conscience John could not extend some offer of help.

It had also been pointed out by the good Colonel that TechCom was taking a risk by helping the Kingdom. And the General never took a risk without a possibility of a reward. The Kingdom would lose its independence. It, like Airbase S-14 would become a state in TechCom. The King would answer to the General and the leadership council of TechCom City. No longer would his rule be absolute.

In return, military and medical aid would be forthcoming. The Kingdom's military could hardly be called that. The TechCom personnel would train them as well as possible in the short period of time available. The sick and elderly would be transported to TechCom City. The rest would dismantle that of their kingdom that could be hidden and then vanish into the Wastelands with the TechCom Advisors to form a guerilla army.

Should TechCom prevail, a small airfield would be built as well as a hospital. Farmers from TechCom would come to help with the hydroponic farm. Other aid would be provided. After all, it was one of three states in the nation of TechCom.

 **The Cessna…**

Derek fought the anger coursing through his veins. He'd awakened early that morning tired and weary. The long trek to the so-called airfield had not been something he'd looked forward too.

Then he'd gotten John's long and detailed update about what was going on with his little girl. Sarah's message had calmed him down considerably, but he'd already decided the first thing he was doing upon his return was paying this Lt. Dan a visit. Catherine and Wilhelm could just stick it.

If he passed muster, and this was whom Ruth wanted, then it was going to happen. IF, and it was a big IF, he passed muster.

Derek tried to get comfortable for the flight back to TechCom City. There would be no sleeping with the turbulence but he hoped to at least not be bounced around too much.

 **South of Salem – State of Oregon…**

Wind blew grit and sand onto their imaging equipment, making the infiltrator's task more difficult. From their vantage point above the highway the team of four was recording every bit of data they could with their equipment. The smell of burning fuel made their nostrils burn and eyes water. Roar of the turbine driven engines made verbal communication impossible.

Below a column of armored vehicles lumbered slowly past. In the lead were new, never before seen designs. Small for what appeared to be modern tanks, each vehicle was armed with a pulse energy gun its turret and a machine gun for eliminating the threat of infantry attacks.

Following behind the initial group was three heavy armored self-propelled field guns. It was evident to the entire group the armor was the protective screening force for the big guns. Using his rangefinder, the leader of the group estimated the giant guns to have barrels capable of firing 240 mm rounds.

Support vehicles carrying crew, fuel and ammunition followed. Old Bradley Infantry carriers followed indicating an infantry-screening group was attached for defensive purposes.

Searchlights swept the surrounding area, revealing a screening force of T-600s making their way along the sides of the road, easily keeping pace with the slow moving column. As the enemy forces moved by, the infiltrators photographed, recorded and counted everything they saw.

Growing more concerned by the minute, the leader of the infiltration group was glad he would be far from TechCom City when General Connor received their report.

 **TechCom Central Park…**

The light always had a strange feel to it. No matter how many times Savannah complained to John Henry, he'd never been able to get the filters just right to make the light in the city's Central Park seem like natural sunlight. She decided perhaps it was because it had been so long since she'd seen the sun and real sunlight that she remembered it wrong.

She sat on the bench, soaking up the Vitamin D artificially created in the lighting system of the park. Savannah always felt better after spending a little time in the city's public green space. Today was an exception.

Savannah was in turmoil, conflicted over the warring emotions within. Ruth challenging her for Lt. Dan has angered her. Not that Savannah couldn't understand why the younger woman was attracted to Dan, but rather the fact Ruth had the audacity to think she could prevail.

Then there was the fact Lt. Dan had told her in rather blunt terms they were no longer a couple. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Relieved? Angry? Resentful? Hurt?

If Ruth wasn't enough of a distraction, that arrogant blonde NCO got on Savannah's nerves just as a matter of principle. At least Ruth had been somewhat respectful, by Terminator stands of behavior. Ruth couldn't help certain things Savannah reminded herself. But that blonde, she just got on Savannah's nerves. For a moment she considered finding Ruth and pointing out the blonde competition. Savannah smiled at the thought. Cameron would see to it Ruth dealt harshly with the blonde sergeant.

One thing Savannah had realized in thinking about the entire mess was she didn't want to be alone. Catherine was right to push her to find a husband. Savannah shivered at the thought of agreeing with her mother on something so personal, but Catherine had told her being alone was not the way to spend her life. Catherine had tried once, and not very successfully, to explain why as different as she and Wilhelm were why their existence was better with each other than without.

Picturing her mother doting over the huge warrior was always at odds with Catherine's primary personality, which at best could be described as somewhat distant. Reconciling the times Savannah had witnessed Wilhelm pick Catherine's petite form up and carry her about with a smile on his face was equally difficult to reconcile. But one thing was certain. The two Terminators existence was better for the union.

There were other fish in the sea. Dan was very handsome, sweet and made Savannah feel comfortable and at ease. He was also as stubborn as a Terminator in pursuit and showed not the slightest inclination to leave the Airborne.

And therein lay the problem.

As bitterly angry as it made her, Savannah would not defy her parents. If she were to marry, it would be an officer.

Cameron's intervention, no intrusion, had made Savannah look at things from different perspectives. Why would Cameron intervene? Helping Ruth was certainly understandable, but to the degree of interference Cameron had gone too?

Thinking about Cameron's motivation, which always started with what she thought was best for her John, made Savannah realize Cameron was protecting John and her family. The Connors ruled TechCom. They weren't despots. The leadership council had real power and the members all had significant duties and responsibilities.

But the Connors ruled none-the-less. The fact of the matter Savannah realized was there was no other truly viable means of government. Not until the wars were done being fought.

Cameron wanted Ruth to marry an officer in line for a command. A combat veteran who could rise through the ranks and legitimately join the leadership council in time. The same would undoubtedly be true for Hailey. Savannah knew Cameron well enough to know she wanted the girls to be happy in their marriages, that this would certainly take priority.

She also knew Cameron would protect John's rule and the clan's hold over TechCom. Cameron's decision to push so hard to help Ruth made sense from Cameron's perspective. Savannah didn't have to like it, but it had a certain logic.

"You're looking awfully serious today Miss Weaver."

Savannah's reverie broken, she looked up to find her new patient standing before her, resting his weight on his crutches.

"Captain Jones, what brings you to our city's beautiful park?"

"Actually, I was hoping to find my new doctor. Have you seen a pretty redhead around here anywhere?"

Savannah laughed easily and smiled at the handsome man standing before her. Perhaps she could swallow her pride and let Ruth have her way without a big fight. There were other fish in the sea.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

John set the tablet down. Feeling a stress headache coming on, he first pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed it before taking both hands and rubbing his temples. As a last resort he rubbed his forehead. None of it helped the growing throbbing in his head.

He pressed his compiece on his desk.

"Cameron?"

"I will be there in just a moment John."

John released the button, knowing it was pointless to tell Cameron he just needed to ask her a question.

The door to his office opened and Cameron barreled in, letting the door shut behind her. In three strides she was standing by John. Before he could stop his wife, she touched her hand to his forehead like a human mother checking her child for a fever.

"Your vitals are elevated. You are experiencing significant stress."

Not wanting to be lectured about the current state of his health, John reached around Cameron's waist and pulled her into his lap. Since she was here, he decided, he could use a little comfort time from the second in command.

Cameron did not say a word. She settled in comfortably in John's lap and leaned her torso against his chest, allowing her head to rest against his shoulder and neck. John picked up his tablet and handed it to Cameron. He closed his eyes and took in the Cameron's strawberry scent while she read through the troubling dispatch from the Olympia infiltration group.

Finished scanning the report, Cameron sat the tablet down gently on John's desk. She placed her hand over John's heart and tenderly rubbed his chest.

"You will outwit this Skynet. We will defeat this enemy."

"I just don't know Cameron. I thought we had destroyed all of Skynet's weapon production capability on the West Coast. And now this? How many more of our people have to die to stop this insanity? We've lost too many already. Cameron, I am afraid there won't be enough of us to survive if this keeps up."

Cameron said nothing. John needed to feel reassured and loved when he felt despair. That was her job. His was to create the plan that would defeat this new threat, to lead TechCom to victory.

She whispered in her husband's ear, "John?"

"What, Cameron."

"Would you take me home, please?"

John looked up at his wife suddenly, concern on his face.

"Are you operating within your design parameters?"

"Yes." Cameron took John's chin in her hand and guided his face towards hers. She kissed him with a gentle passion, stroking his cheek as she did so.

"I need to be with my husband. No," Cameron said softly. "I want to be with my husband. Would he please take me home?"

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	30. Chapter 30

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty – What Can One Man Do?**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John opened one eye cautiously in the still dark of the bedroom. He waited a moment before opening the other eye with the same caution. After a few seconds he was able to focus well enough to read his digital clock. Ten more minutes before the alarm went off.

He rolled over and found Cameron was still in bed, an occurrence that was becoming more common.

"Are you awake?"

"I have been since 0312."

"No patrolling tonight?"

"No. I wanted to be with you. Sometimes it is better for me to be with you than it is to patrol."

"I can sleep just fine," John teased.

"Not always," Cameron replied. "You had to be calmed several times last night."

John didn't argue. Cameron possessed an uncanny ability to calm both he and his mother without waking them if a nightmare started. Sarah in particular suffered from nightmares. Cameron had taken to calming her when they still lived in their home in Los Angeles prior to Judgment Day. One unfortunate waking nightmare had led to Sarah shooting Cameron.

Derek didn't have Cameron's ability to make a nightmare vanish without waking Sarah, but he did alleviate most of the fear Sarah felt that caused the nightmares. Over the years of their marriage Sarah had learned to sense when "the machines" were coming, allowing her to seek the comfort and support from Derek before she went to sleep.

"It's not like I didn't have cause," John sighed.

Cameron moved close to John and ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll get through this. You'll find a way."

 **The Reese Family Bunker…**

"No way are you leaving the bunker looking like that."

"Hailey, what is wrong with how I look?"

"Ruth, you are finished with school and you don't have duty today. Ergo, no black uniform. Now, here, go change."

A quick look at the clothing Hailey held out made Ruth turn her nose up. "Old faded blue jeans and one of your white t-shirts?"

"Hot look. Mom says it's "tight," whatever that means."

"Before Judgment Day maybe, but I want to look nice."

"Ruth, how many times do I have to tell you? The point is to REEL Dan in! That means jeans that show the moneymaker and a top that lets the girls do their job."

Hailey frowned at Ruth and folded her arms, her expression changing to one of utter determination.

"You can't make me wear those clothes," Ruth challenged.

"Wanna bet?"

"Come on Hailey. I'm a T-1000. You're no match for me."

"Who won the last fight?"

"You cheated."

"Using a Taser is not cheating when you're human and your opponent is a Terminator."

"Then what is it?"

"Dad calls it leveling the playing field."

"You wouldn't."

"I did once, I'll do it again. Now come on Ruth. We have to do your hair and I have to make sure you get your make-up morphed just right. I have to take my last exam this morning, so somebody needs to hurry up so I won't be late for school."

"Fine. But if Dan doesn't like how I look, then I'm never dressing like that again."

"Whatever. Strip down," Hailey ordered.

 **TechCom Medical Center…**

"So, what's the prognosis Doctor Weaver? Will I be competing in the 100 meter dash in a week?"

Savannah smiled at her handsome patient sitting on the examining table. It saddened her to have to give him the news he'd never return to active combat status.

"Captain, I have mixed news for you."

Jones' smile slipped momentarily before returning.

"Right now, I'm missing my lower left leg and I'm dependent on crutches. Mixed news means you'll be able to help me. Just not quite like I had hoped. Am I right?"

Savannah found it harder than she thought to explain what was possible and what wasn't. She sat down next to her new favorite patient on the examining table in order to gather her nerve.

"Matthew, may I call you Matthew?"

"Matt is fine."

"Matt, the plasma burst that took off your lower leg so badly burned the remaining nerves that a fully functioning cybernetic replacement won't be possible."

"So I'll never be cleared for a combat command again?"

"No. I'm afraid not. But, the good news is I will be able to hard wire enough neural replacements that I can give you a new lower leg. You will be able to walk with a slight limp and jog slowly for short distances. Climbing ladders and going up stairs won't be a problem either."

"I just won't be able to march long distances, jump out of an HK, run for my life and carry a heavy field pack."

Savannah took the Captain's hand in hers and smiled at him. "I wish I could do more for you. I really do. My father's dear friend Colonel Reese has a cybernetic arm and leg and other than a slight limp when he's tired, you would never know. But Derek had no significant nerve damage."

Her new patient stared at the wall for several minutes and Savannah let him absorb what she had just told him.

"I'm sorry, I really am. You had your hopes on regaining your combat status didn't you?"

"Yeah, well, that's not going to happen, now is it," Matt replied grimly, the disappointment written on his face and body.

He straightened up and reached for his crutches. Placing them under his arms Matt stood up and faced Savannah with his smile firmly etched on his face.

"When I came here, I was a complete cripple. I couldn't stand up for a complete duty shift as a staff officer. I'll go back able to perform the duties assigned to me. Who knows, I might event a new sport for humans with one cybernetic leg."

"There's one more thing, and it's not pleasant."

Matt's smile wavered for a moment before returning.

"Let the other shoe drop. I'm a big boy."

"I'll have to remove your left eye."

The smile vanished completely.

"My left eye?"

"I will have to install a very small CPU in you so you can control your new leg. That means you need to have access to a HUD. Most of the functions are autonomic but sometimes you'll need to run diagnostics or make the occasional setting change. Derek likes his new eye. He has night vision now and can record digital video up to five minutes in length."

"Can he zoom in?"

"Actually, yes," Savannah replied, hoping Matt was warming up to the idea. "Derek likes the feature when he's out in the Wastelands. He can use infrared or night vision and zoom in from a safe distance on what he's surveilling. We even have a human sniper in the Infiltrators who lost an eye. She loves her new eye. Doesn't use a scope anymore."

Matt smiled at Savannah as he reached for the doorknob.

"That's all nice, Doc, but I was thinking more in terms of watching a certain red head I know shake her moneymaker from a distance so I don't get in trouble."

Savannah's mouth fell open as she dropped the file with Matt's records on the floor and firmly planted both hands on her hips.

"See you tonight," Matt laughed. "The least I can do is take you to get something to eat at TechCom's amazing cafeteria. 1900 hours work for you? Works for me. Catch you later Savannah."

As she picked up the records from the floor and organized them, Savannah didn't know whether to be charmed or offended, flattered or annoyed. She finally decided on intrigued.

 **South of Portland…**

Working with the limited amount of explosives they'd brought with them, the four-soldier infiltrator unit decided the only feasible approach would be to drop a single span of the bridge into the Willamette River. To do that, they would wait until one of the approaching convoys was crossing the bridge to add to the weight and stress on the span in hopes it would be enough to bring the span down.

Word from the northernmost unit was less than encouraging. Major demolition had not been part of the plan when the three teams had been dispatched. News of an armored convoy with a new design of heavy artillery changed the mission parameters.

Buying time was now as important as gathering intel.

With the last of the charges planted the team prepared to leave the bridge and move to take cover and wait. The lone Terminator in the team held up her hand, stopping her teammates from finishing packing.

"I know this goes against all regulations. I guess you can report me when we return if you want."

"What is it," the team leader asked, concerned about a possible damaging revelation.

"I have a fear of my power cell running out. It's not natural. Miss Weaver says it's just a glitch in my code and nothing to worry about. But I can't function in the field when the thought comes up. As many times as I delete it from my HUD display or override the program prompt, I can't get rid of it."

Glancing at each of her teammates one at a time, the petite T-800 used a most human means of communicating, one adopted by most long time TechCom Terminators. She shrugged.

"I carry a scavenged power cell with me."

"Whoa! That's against just about every regulation there is," the team leader exclaimed. "Only certified medics in field repair facilities are allowed to carry those and then only in special sealed containers."

"Report me when we return. I'm okay with that, really. But I thought it would add a nice little boost to the explosion."

Each member of the team looked at each other.

"It would make sure we bring down the span, and then some," the team leader admitted.

"Yeah, we could always claim something on one of the vehicles went off and that's what vaporized the span," another team member suggested.

"So long as John Henry doesn't see the digital imagery we ought to be okay," the third team member agreed.

The Team leader thought for a moment before speaking. "No images of the initial blast will be taken then, agreed?"

"Agreed," was the group's response.

"You'll be okay without your energy cell? Can't have you wigging out on us," the team leader asked.

"If we have time, I'll cut one out of a Terminator who has been compromised," the T-800 replied. "If not, you can shut me down whenever we stop. I can go several hours after a reboot without any issues."

"Well, let's get that thing set and get off this bridge," the team leader ordered. "And then we are all going to forget this conversation."

 **Airbase S-14…**

Ducking behind the blast shield, the Major cursed at the dust and grit blown up by the turbines as the TechCom HKs took off. He watched with mixed emotions as they quickly vanished into the darkness.

General Connor had driven a hard bargain and Sarah Connor and Catherine Weaver had made sure the terms Connor demanded were met. His staff was already grumbling about the annexation and loss of independence.

He'd shot the young Captain who'd called him a coward for agreeing to the alliance and annexation.

The smell of smoke and the coppery taste of blood were still in the air when he had calmly commented any officer who ever complained again about the change in status could expect a similar fate.

Upon return to his command center the Major decided he would not sleep in his quarters that night.

It wouldn't do to tempt fate until the promised aid from TechCom arrived.

 **TechCom Medical…**

Boot steps thudding through the corridor and the sounds of medical personnel scrambling about alerted Dan to the fact a high-ranking officer was approaching his room. A short list of four names occupied his mind as to who it was coming to see him. None of them were on his list of names of visitors he wanted to see.

Just outside his door a short, curt discussion took place. An unmistakably male voice cutoff the protests off the medical personnel, eliminating two of the names from his list.

Dan closed his eyes and waited for the door to open, sealing his fate. After several minutes, he opened one eye and then the other.

"Sir."

"How are you feeling, Lt?"

"Better sir?"

"What are your intentions in regard to my sister?"

 _Right to the point, just like he always is._

"Nothing dishonorable sir."

"Of course not, Ruth would castrate you in the blink of an eye if you tried anything. Now answer my question Lt."

"Sir, I'm a bit confused."

"No you're not. Ruth has made it very obvious what her intentions are. You spend most of your day with Wilhelm and half your squad is Terminators. You are very well versed in how they think and act. Answer my question, Lt. or would you prefer to wear a pair of Sergeant's stripes and go back to working for a living?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I like Ruth. She's an amazing infiltrator. I know she's your sister, so begging your pardon, but she's hot, I mean gorgeous sir."

"Yeah, I get it. Ruth's a looker. What are your intentions? You're going to answer me or I'll let the Old Man come down here and have a talk with you. What is it going to be?"

Dan was backed into a corner and he knew it.

"Sir, I honestly don't know. Savannah and I had a thing going and it was pretty good. But she blew up when I got hit in the first firefight on the expedition. I told her, and I meant it, if she couldn't handle me being a combat leader, we were done."

"What does that have to do with Ruth?"

"Well, somewhere out in the Wastelands while we were on the staybehind, Ruth imprinted on me, at least I think that's what it's called. You know, like a crush."

"Did you encourage it?"

"Not intentionally sir. We had to stand guard duty together sometimes and we got to talking you know? She showed me some of her sketches and I told her I liked to carve things, make little sculptures. I haven't told that to many people because they look at me funny, you know sir? Me being a soldier and all in the airborne. Being an artist is not something people think soldiers would want to do."

"Why not," John asked sharply. "My wife is a ballerina, and what's more, she's a Terminator."

Lt Dan shrugged, feeling trapped by his General who happened to be the brother of one Ruth Reese.

"Ruth saved my life after we hit the convoy, but you probably read that in the after action reports. Patched me up and carried me to the rendezvous. When I woke up in recovery, there she was."

John audibly sighed and sat down. Cameron was going to get a firm reminder of the new protocols about her manipulative schemes the first chance he had to get her alone in private.

"Ruth, as you know is a T-1000. What you might not know is that for some reason she is not attracted to metal. She needs to mate with a human. She wants to mate with a human. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh, with all due respect sir, you're married to metal. My C.O. is married to metal, but he is metal. There five other mixed species marriages in TechCom but I'm sure you're aware of that. I mean, it's not the strangest thing around here."

"Ruth could never bear you a child of your own, you do realize that?"

"Sir, I'm an orphan. There are plenty of orphans who need parents. Ruth's adopted and so are lots of other children. I imagine that'll be the case for a long time in TechCom until the wars are over."

"Ruth wants you as a mate. Do you understand the implications of that?"

It was the Lt.'s turn to audibly sigh.

"Yes sir. I'd be marring into the Connor-Reese Clan. Ruth or Hailey will some day command TechCom. That means a seat on the leadership council and the responsibilities that go with command and serving as a department head."

"You sound as if that is not something you desire."

"Sir, to be honest, it's a lot of pressure. I like Ruth, I really do. But I just want to command my unit. Train airborne troopers. Protect TechCom. That's it."

"My sister will be crushed if you reject her."

"I don't want to hurt Ruth. I really like her.

"So, it would be different if she was from another clan?"

"Probably sir. I would think so."

"Thank you for being honest."

John turned to leave. He paused at the door as he opened it, looking back at the Lt. "Of course, Ruth's mind is made up. She probably has visions of a ring on her finger. My wife sees this as a strengthening of the clan and family. That's two very determined Terminators who have decided your fate. Throw in my daughter Hailey and my mother Sarah, and you sir, really don't stand a chance."

"General, with all due respect, sir…"

"Save it Lt. That's four very dominant alpha females who are very determined for one Ruth Reese to achieve her goal."

John looked at the Lt. as the blood drained from his face.

"Don't fight it is my advice." John smiled, surprising the Lt. "I've already been where you're about to go."

John stepped into the corridor and stopped again. Still smiling he stuck his head back inside the room.

"Terminators make very good wives Lt. Just thought I'd let you know."

 **Willamette River Bridge – Oregon…**

Watching from a distant vantage point, the T-800 zoomed in on the bridge as the three other members of the infiltration team remained hidden. She armed the detonators and waited for the lead vehicles of the convoy noisily approaching to enter her view.

Using the infrared spectrum, the T-800 picked up the heat signatures of the lead vehicle, one of the new Skynet light tanks. Upon approaching the bridge, the tank stopped. Within a minute infantry from a Bradley approached the bridge. If they discovered the charges, she would set them off and just take a chance it would be enough to bring the span down.

Following a discussion with the crew chief of the lead tank, the infantry squad fanned out and slowly made its way across the bridge, looking over the side of the bridge for any obvious threat. After nearly twenty minutes the squad made it across and gave the all clear.

" _This'll teach them to not go under a bridge to check for demolition charges,"_ the T-800 thought.

With a grinding of gears and the loud noise any tank makes traveling on a paved road, the lead tank made its way slowly across the bridge. After advancing several hundred meters down the road from the bridge, the next vehicle began to make its way across. Assured an ambush was not in the offing, the rest of the convoy started its engines and turbines, filling the area with the roar of high horsepower machines traveling at a crawl.

Diesel fumes reached the olfactory sensors of the T-800 as the convoy's armor moved across. New light tanks and pre-Judgment Day Bradley's along with foot infantry guarding the flanks ground their way across the steel bridge. Each vehicle turned on its running lights and flashlights, searching the area for possible enemy targets waiting to attack.

With a third of the column across, the real target emerged, the three new heavy self-propelled guns. After a brief pause at the edge of the first span, the first heavy gun lurched forward and began its slow crawl across the bridge. Instead of allowing the first gun to have some room in case something happened, the second self-propelled gun immediately began making its way across the bridge. Common sense struck the driver of the third self-propelled gun, stopping and waiting for the first two guns to make it across the bridge.

Two minutes into is dreadfully slow crossing of the bridge, the first heavy gun entered the blast area. The T-800 waited, hoping to detonate the charges with both heavy guns on the targeted span. The driver of the second SPG didn't disappoint, maintaining a dangerously close distance from the first SPG.

With a push of a single button, a blinding flash lit up the entire area as the energy cell exploded. A millisecond later the C-4 charges detonated. Wind rushing away from the blast knocked the T-800 over as the sound wave rushed past in a deafening roar. Quickly scrambling up to witness the results of the blast, the T-800 was stunned to see the entire span was gone.

It was as if the bridges builders had never finished the structure due to not installing the final central span. Crumbling and collapsing in large pieces was the concrete pilings that had held up the central span and the one next to it. With a sudden loud protesting groan, the pier began to crumble faster before a booming crack announced the collapse of the pier.

A resounding splash told of the heavy concrete and steel falling into the ice-cold waters of the Willamette below. With the collapse of the pier, the next span dropped its far end into the icy waters below. The third SPG had just moved on to the span. With the far end suddenly dropping into the water, the steep incline pulled the heavy vehicle forward.

Stunned by the explosion, the driver had left the SPG in gear, providing the vehicle with a slight forward impetus. With in seconds gravity took hold and the SPG began sliding down the span, finally splashing into the river.

"Two spans, not bad," the team leader whispered in glee after moving from his hiding spot.

"Skynet's forces will be able to retrieve the third self-propelled gun and repair it," the T-800 commented drily.

"Yeah, but it'll take'em time to force a crossing of the river here and only one SPG is a whole lot better than three of those giant beasts."

All four of the team watched as officers yelled to cut the vehicles lights out and tried to calm the panicked infantry who'd survived the blast.

Shouldering his back, the team leader motioned for the others to follow. "Let's get out of here while their good and distracted."

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Checking her watch for the third time in the last five minutes, Savannah hurried past the slower moving soldiers and workers in the main corridor to the Cafeteria. Terminators and humans mingled, talking about their past duty shift or what they had planned for their rest period.

Savannah pushed past a young couple excusing her self only to find a line had formed just inside the city's largest eating establishment.

"Great. Duty change," Savannah complained to herself. Another glance at her watch confirmed the fact Savannah was now officially past the time accepted as being fashionably late. With the serving line moving slowly, Savannah grew frustrated. To start with, she'd been informed her parents would be returning that evening. Then she'd botched a half-day's work by melting a neural net junction piece into the servomotor it was meant to control.

Now she was late for dinner in a crowded cafeteria for her date with a man who had to use crutches to move about. The only thing that could make things worse was if her mother arrived to interrogate her about how things were progressing with Lt. Dan.

"Miss Weaver?"

Savannah glanced up to see a boy of about twelve nervously looking up at her.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"A Captain Jones asked me to take you to where he is waiting," the boy said excitedly. His voice cracked as he continued, speaking even faster. "He has dinner ready for the two of you."

Without waiting the lad turned and walked quickly away from Savannah, not looking back to see if she followed him or not. Annoyed with the youth, Savannah quickened her pace to keep up, following to the far corner of the eating area where few individuals ever ate.

The youth disappeared behind a large curtain hung at a 45-degree angle to the two walls forming the corner of the eating area. Slowly, Savannah pulled the curtain back to find the boy standing at attention with a towel across his forearm much like a waiter at a fancy restaurant before Judgment Day.

Seated at the table, complete with a small candle burning was Captain Jones. Large bottles of water sat in a styrofoam ice chest and plates of food sat steaming on the table. Paper napkins and plastic silverware were arranged neatly. The youth pulled back the empty chair and waited to seat Savannah.

"Please, join me," the Jones insisted.

Savannah smiled at the Captain as she allowed the young boy to seat her. She watched in amusement as the would be waiter anxiously poured to large cups of ice water, bowed to her and then the Captain and unceremoniously fled.

"It's so hard to get good help these days," Jones laughed.

"Where did you find him? The poor thing was scared to death."

"I gave him a cheap, plastic watch I found out in the Wastelands, thing will probably only work a few more months. But he set everything up for me and managed to lure you into my trap, so it was worth it."

"Oh, I see. I've been lured into a trap now, have I?"

Savannah sipped from the ice-cold cup of water, watching the handsome Jones as he playfully smiled back at her.

 **TechCom Medical…**

Ruth burst through the door, startling Dan as he tried to finish his meal.

"Hello," Ruth cooed sweetly. "Are you finished? Let me take that for you."

Without waiting for a response Ruth took the tray and turned to leave. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder at Dan and smiled before proceeding to walk slowly and with a pronounced swaying of her bottom in her tight jeans as she left to dispose of his tray, complete with his uneaten desert.

"Wow," Dan laughed. "I guess the stakes are being raised."

He thought for a moment about Ruth and how sweet she was. John's words came to mind, warning him not to hurt her. He also remembered the warning that Ruth was not going to take no for answer.

Ruth entered the room again, shutting the door behind her and dimming the light. Without a word she climbed into the hospital bed with Dan and curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Tomorrow night is graduation. Honors are to be awarded to the members of the expedition, which means you have to attend. I've taken care of your uniform and made arrangements for you to be brought in a wheel chair."

Stunned to complete silence, Dan just stared at Ruth with his mouth wide open.

"You can say thank you," she continued, nudging him in his ribs.

"Uh, yeah, thanks Ruth."

Cuddling even closer, Ruth looked up at her Lt. and smiled affectionately.

"Since it is the first senior class ever, all of TechCom has been ordered to assemble. Military personnel AND civilians. That includes humans and Terminators. You have to look your best, so I picked up your dress uniform."

Images of John, Colonel Reese and the Old Man passed through Dan's mind. All of them involving severe, painful bodily harm being inflicted on him.

"Ruth, are you sure this is a good idea?"

Ruth sat up and looked at Dan with big eyes, her lower lip quivering slightly.

"You don't want me to be here?"

"I didn't say that," Dan responded quickly. "It's just I have horrible visions of the assorted males in your family doing horrible things to me. And me, being wounded horribly and unable to defend myself, I'm just a little anxious about these sorts of things."

"You don't want me to be close with you? I wasn't going to let you do anything inappropriate," Ruth answered somberly. "I'm not like that."

"Okay, let's not let this degenerate into a mess I can't get myself out of," Dan said defensively.

"First, I appreciate your company. I really do Ruth. But are you sure you jumping in bed with me is a good idea? I mean what if somebody walks in and sees us?"

"Nothing would be happening," Ruth protested.

"I know that and you know that, but people see what they want to see and then rumors get started."

"Terminators would never think something wrong was going on, they would only tell what their digital video file showed when they replayed it."

"Yeah, about that. Ruth, they'd still talk and humans don't work like that."

Ruth tilted her head to consider Dan's admonition for a moment.

"You are correct. Hailey most definitely flies off the handle, I think that is the expression, and exaggerates what she saw in her descriptions."

Ruth's shoulders sagged as she slumped forward slightly, clearly disappointed. Dan looked at the young woman sitting there and took notice of the flattering fit of the white t-shirt, revealing Ruth's curves and slender waist. The General's question of whether or not he would pursue Ruth if she were from a different clan came to mind.

Looking at the young woman sadly sitting there with her French braided hair and clothes she would normally never wear displaying her feminine wares, Dan realized the answer was a definite yes. He had a lot in common with the little warrior who was smitten with him.

"I guess it won't hurt for a few minutes," he whispered, reaching to put his arm around Ruth's waist.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it would be nice to have a pretty girl snuggle with me for a few minutes."

Ruth smiled and settled back down, comfortably snuggling close.

"Just use that super duper hearing of yours to listen for anyone approaching my room."

 **TechCom Airfield…**

Patience was not a natural trait of Derek's. It had taken years of survival and training to develop the ability to wait. As the HKs from the Airbase S-14 diplomatic mission landed, Derek grew impatient in the observation room. On the view screen Sarah was clearly visible as she cleared the jump hatch before the HK even set down.

"I've seen that expression before," Derek muttered and left the room.

Sarah emerged from the personnel lift and began striding towards the underground train back to the main TechCom complex.

"What, no hug and kiss for your husband? You husband who you missed terribly while you were gone," Derek yelled sarcastically with his arms spread wide.

"Well, what are you waiting for," Sarah yelled back, motioning for Derek to hurry up. "Tin Miss has a piece of my mind coming to her."

 **TechCom Command Central…**

Cameron watched as John read the message a second time. He looked up with a big smile on his face.

"They were able to damage the bridge?"

"Two spans collapsed! Two of the three new heavy self propelled guns were destroyed."

"That is good news."

"You're not kiddin'."

"The delegations have returned."

John's smile vanished. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"I have been reprimanded by Sarah before."

John hugged Cameron tight. "It's been a long time though." He felt her face against his chest nod in agreement.

"As soon as Sarah and Derek find you, tell them we have an all staff meeting at 0600 tomorrow morning. That might take a little wind out of mom's sails."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-one – Wheels Turning Round and Round**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John glanced at Cameron for the 19th time in the past 30 minutes. He pushed his reading glasses up on the top of his head and stared at his wife. Cameron was lying on her right side with her hands folded under her cheek on her pillow. She had kicked the blankets off her legs, leaving them exposed to the chill of the evening air filtering into TechCom City. Wearing only one of John's old dress shirts, she gave off an air of sexiness and vulnerability.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"When you are done reading and catching up on the intel reports."

"This stuff can wait," John announced, tossing the stack of maps and his tablet on the floor. He set his glasses on his bedside table by his old, battered digital alarm clock and turned off the bedside lamp. He had no sooner lay down on his back than Cameron moved close to him. As she rested her head on his shoulder Cameron reached across John's chest and firmly planted the ends of her fingertips on the skin of his abdomen.

John fought back his irritation and said nothing. Cameron was upset, that much was clear. When upset or feeling anxious, Cameron obsessively resorted to behaviors that calmed her. Like taking his vital signs over and over.

"Mom was hard on you I take it."

"Sarah has not been that harsh to me since we lived in our home in L.A. prior to Judgment Day."

"Are you okay," John asked cautiously.

"I feel very conflicted and confused," Cameron responded.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on and I'll see if I can help you sort things out."

"I don't understand why Sarah passed the mantle of matriarch to me and then objected so strongly to my plan for Ruth. It is a sound one that allows Ruth to mate well and have a strong marriage and it reduces the risk of a split in the council."

"Cameron, you didn't run it by her. We've been through this."

"Then what is the point of being matriarch? If I am to be responsible for the family and clan, but have no authority, how am I to manage the clan?"

Patience, John reminded himself. Sometimes everyone, himself included, forgot Cameron sometimes saw life through a somewhat naïve and simplistic childlike worldview.

"Let's look at it this way. Did Mom say anything about the plans for the girls after graduation tomorrow night?"

"Sarah said everything was fine and she would do what ever I needed her to do."

"But she was pretty hot about the scheme with Ruth."

"She yelled at me for 27 minutes and 42 seconds. I was not able to explain anything or justify my strategy."

"Once the hurricane had blown over, Mom was calm enough for you to discuss the party for the girls?"

Cameron nodded, clearly confused. "She was very pleased with all of my plans and the details. It was two different Sarah's."

"The party is for both girls, our daughter and Sarah's daughter. Mom is not a great party planner and she knows you're a meticulous planner. All the food will be good and every little detail taken care of."

With his hand, John gently brushed a lock of hair from Cameron's face and kissed her forehead.

"On the other hand, setting in motion a trap for Ruth to land a husband and in doing so could split the council, that is a plan so big, and with really serious consequences if something goes wrong, you should have let Sarah give you guidance. Seek wise counsel. That is what made her mad."

"If I had sent a communiqué with my plan she would not have objected?"

"That's not what I'm saying. Communicating with mom and Derek would have let them say no before the plan was set in motion. If they agreed with the plan but wanted some changes made, they could have given you feedback to improve the plan. You didn't give them a chance to do either."

"I still believe my plan is sound. I do not think I should be overruled or my plan canceled."

"Cameron, what I'm saying, is you didn't give them a voice. So they are pushing back the only way they can. If you had sought their counsel, Mom and Derek would probably be onboard AND Mom would probably deal with Catherine for you. That means Wilhelm will go along with the plan as well."

Cameron slipped her left foot under the blankets and placed it across John's lower left leg and began gently rubbing his shin as she processed.

"I am matriarch. I made the necessary decision. It shouldn't be questioned."

"Cameron, it doesn't work that way. First, Ruth is not our daughter. You would never have launched this plan for Hailey without consulting me. Second, Cameron, this is family, not your Silvers. It's not a hierarchical command structure."

"Sarah was very authoritarian," Cameron protested.

"Yes, and there were times you let it be known just how unhappy you were with some of Mom's decisions," John laughed. "It was also just the three of us, sometimes four with Derek. Our family has grown and has more responsibility. It will continue to grow and so will the responsibility."

"I should be able to make decisions and expect obedience," Cameron said with more than a trace of stubbornness.

"You should, but that is not the reality you are dealing with."

Cameron's face transformed into a pout as John felt her left hand start its glitch.

"Let's add a new protocol to your matriarch programming. Seek counsel when appropriate. Okay?"

Cameron nodded and remained silent. After several minutes she turned on her left side pulled the blankets up to her hips. John smiled at his wife's frustration.

He snuggled close to Cameron and was relieved she didn't protest.

"Cameron, there is a learning curve to this. You have to manage a lot of strong personalities in a hybrid family. You will get better."

Cameron took John's hand and squeezed it just before her body stiffened and relaxed. John smiled. Cameron would be okay in the morning.

 **TechCom Medical…**

Like sixth sense telling him a predator was stalking him, Dan became aware someone was in his room. He eased into a conscious state, keeping his eyes closed. Listening in the darkness, he could hear the breathing of another human. Cracking the eyelids of his right eye ever so slightly he saw two figures sitting in chairs near the door.

"He's awake sir."

"Bout time. I'm tired and I need some sleep. 0600 is going to come too early."

An icy chill ran down Dan's spine and curled its way into a tight ball the size of his fist in his stomach. He'd expected visits from both, but not at the same time.

"Sit up, Lt. You and I need to have a talk."

There was no use in pretending to be asleep. Dan pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard of the bed.

"Sir."

"The Old Man and I have a few things we want cleared up."

Dan swallowed in fear. He knew from talking to Wilhelm Terminators had extensive files on how to inflict pain to extract information. It was not their preferred method of interrogation due to their subjects saying anything to stop the pain. The Old Man might not be interested in information, just inflicting pain.

"I'll do my best to clarify matters, sir. I, ah, just don't know what needs clarifying."

"What are your intentions in regards to my daughter?"

"Nothing dishonorable, I assure you."

"Unacceptable response," the Old Man monotoned. "He may need encouragement to be forthcoming," the T-600 stated in his chilling monotone, his red optic sensors glowing brighter in intensity.

"Be patient," Derek replied.

"Sir, does he really need to be here," Dan asked in trepidation.

"Yes, he does. The Old Man has been Ruth's protector since Sarah and I brought him home. He holds clan status as Prime Protector the First. Should something happen to me, he has the responsibility of making certain any suitor of Ruth passes muster before Sarah gives Cameron her blessing to start planning for nuptials."

"Nuptials?"

"Nuptials. What did you think I was talking about?"

"What my intentions towards Ruth are?"

"Exactly. Nuptials. Marriage."

"I'm confused, sir."

"How could this be confusing, Lt? You either want to court Ruth in hope of gaining her favor and agreeing to enter into a marriage. Of course, Ruth can only marry if we approve. Now, unless you want to see how much force per square inch the Old Man can apply to human bone, I suggest you become unconfused."

"Sir, I like Ruth, a lot, and not just because she's so good looking either. She doesn't give me crap about being in the airborne. We both want to be artists. I respect her as a warrior and an infiltrator. I like the fact she's smart, even it it's Terminator intelligence based on all her files and programming."

"I see. That still doesn't answer my question."

"Sir, this is hard for me."

"Don't care. You think this is easy for me?"

"It's not easy for me, I can assure you that," the Old Man monotoned, somehow managing to terrify Dan and threaten him without any obvious voice inflection.

"Colonel Reese, the General has already discussed all this with me."

"Discussed what?"

"Sir, marrying Ruth means taking on the responsibility of being a good husband to her."

"Of course it does. What's your point?"

"It also means having to share the burden when Ruth and Hailey take command of TechCom. I'm not sure I'm up to that. That I even want that."

Derek tilted his head in a brief moment of confusion before standing up from his chair. He leaned over the bed, grasping the safety railing on the side.

"That, is not what I asked you soldier. Can you see it in your heart that you might want to take Ruth as a wife? Be a good husband to her?"

"If it was just Ruth? Yes, sir. I would actually have come to you and asked permission to court her."

"Then ask my permission."

"Sir, I'm not sure I want to."

"Lt., let me give you some advice. My wife is the only woman I have ever loved. Cameron is the only woman John has ever loved. Both of our wives come with considerable, and I mean considerable, baggage. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Confused, Dan didn't reply. He simply wanted Colonel Reese and the troubling T-600 to leave.

"I have been informed Ruth has imprinted on you. Do you understand what that means? Do you have any idea of how relentless my daughter will be in her efforts to make you want to marry her?"

"I'm starting to get an idea."

"Then you should know Ruth won't be reasonable about this. If you rebuff her, she'll react one of two ways. The first, it will crush her, probably do damage to her CPU because she's in permanent read/write mode and some kind of messed up code will get integrated into her operating systems. If that happens, the Old Man has a standing order to hurt you. Not terminate you. Hurt you. Bad."

Derek stared with a frightening intensity into Dan's eyes.

"I will terminate you myself. Then, we'll bring you back to life so Sarah can have her turn."

Like a mouse cornered, Dan felt his temper rise. Tired of being intimidated, he leaned forward, staring with equal intensity into Derek's eyes.

"What about what I want? What I feel? If I don't want to marry Ruth, I won't, sir! And what's more, that is what would be in Ruth's best interest. I can't imagine you want her to have a bad marriage."

"That leaves us with the second possibility," Derek continued, ignoring Dan's outburst. "Ruth will become unreasonable. She'll stalk you. What's more, there is not a female alive who would date you. Ruth is a scary robot when she wants to be."

"So I don't have a choice in the matter then do I?" Dan yelled.

"Sure you do," Derek responded evenly. "You like Ruth. You said so yourself. In fact, I think you like Ruth a lot. What you're scared of is the responsibility that comes with Ruth."

Without a response, Dan remained silent.

"Don't you think that responsibility scares Ruth? It scares me and I've been a Colonel for a long time. Lt., when you're a leader, you don't always get to choose what you want and don't want to do. Let me clue you in. You're going to wind up on the leadership council at some point and time regardless of Ruth."

Dan glared back at Derek in anger. It took ever ounce of self-control not to strike his superior officer.

"So, since you're going to get stuck with the duty anyhow, you might as well have a wonderful wife to share the burden with you. And you, in turn, will share her burden. It makes the burden both of you must bear lighter."

Derek straightened up and motioned to the Old Man he was ready to leave. As the T-600 stood up, Derek turned to look back at Dan.

"There are worse, much worse things in life, than having a strong woman as a wife. Treat my Ruth with the dignity and respect she deserves. Don't lay one finger on her that I don't want laid on her unless you've married her first. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clear, sir."

"And do yourself a favor," Derek said as he opened the door to leave. "My Ruth is a prize. She is one of a kind in more ways than I could ever count. You are not deserving of her, do you understand? But for some reason, she wants you. So if you're smart, you'll open your heart up to my little girl and give her a chance. Grow with her. Get to know each other, what each of you wants out of your existence. Life is so full of pain, trouble. Don't throw something good with Ruth away because you're afraid of the future. I wasted a lot of years doing that. If it hadn't been for Cameron, I would never have married my Sarah. Let's go Old Man."

Derek left the room and the Old Man followed. He paused in the doorway, increasing the intensity of the brightness of his red optic sensors.

"Do not hurt our Ruth. Normal domestic squabbles I have learned are part of male female relationships. Go beyond that, and the Colonel will give me the termination order. And know this Lt. Dan, he wasn't kidding about resuscitating you."

A gentle click of the door latching told Dan the terrifying exchange was over. He lay back down on his bed to discover he was drenched in sweat as a result of the stress of the exchange.

To his surprise, he longed for Ruth to be lying next to him, for her calming and reassuring presence. Like when he had regained consciousness from surgery and found Ruth waiting for him by his side.

In the corridor outside the Medical Complex, Derek slowed to allow the Old Man to pull along side him.

"What do you think?"

"I think he responded well sir. He pushed back and tried to assert his independence. It took a strong will to do that with both of us present."

"I agree. Ruth, like Sarah, can be a real handful when she's just engaged in normal female stubbornness. When her Terminator personality engages, she's as bad as Cameron. I think he has the will to stand up to her and be a good head of family."

"He can be guided in that regard, sir. He will be your son-in-law. The Lt.'s records indicate he is an orphan. He will have no other mentor to learn from."

"Yeah, if I play it right, it could work out. Now we have to make sure there is not a rift on the council."

"Sir, in regards to that, I have been gathering intel on Miss Savannah."

Derek gave the Old Man a look of concern.

"Sir, it's good news. Miss Savannah seems to have taken a liking to a staff officer from Airbase S-14. Perhaps, he could be permanently assigned as liaison officer to TechCom Command?"

Derek laughed out loud.

"You have spent far too much time around Cameron. But, let's hope you're right. That would certainly solve our problem."

"It would, sir. And if I might add, I like the Lt. much better than either of the twins and that Brandon."

Derek nodded at the Old Man's words. He patted the metal on the back of his shoulder stabilizers. The T-600 had spent almost all of Ruth's life as her protector. To disregard the opinion of the Terminator who would still protect his daughter long after he was dead was not something Derek was prepared to do.

"Yeah, I like this one too. I might even let him know that in six or seven years."

 **The Reese Family Bunker…**

"Well, details, details, Ruth. I've been waiting in suspense all evening long."

"I don't kiss and tell, Hailey."

"There was kissing? Now you have to tell!"

"It's an expression Hailey. There was no kissing and I'm not telling you."

"You got in bed and snuggled up all romantic like didn't you?"

"None of your business, Hailey Connor."

"None of my business? It was MY IDEA! What's more, I bet he checked the moneymaker out! Huh? Yeah, he did didn't he!"

Horrified, Ruth rolled her eyes in a vain effort to convince Hailey she was off base.

"Whhhhoooooo, Girl! Makin' good progress!"

"Hailey, you make it sound dirty. I was a perfect lady and my Lt. was a perfect gentleman. NOTHING happened, okay!"

"Tell me, please, what's it like to snuggle up with a real man like your Lt? You owe me that much."

"You'll keep a secret? Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear! Now tell me! I'm dying here," Hailey exclaimed, grasping her chest over her heart and falling over in Ruth's bed.

Ruth giggled at Hailey's over the top antics and flopped down beside her.

"It was nice. Now I understand why Mom and Dad do that when they watch old movies at home. It's not gross like we thought it was."

"Interesting. When Mom gave me "the talk" she mentioned that for her things were different than for Dad because of how much more sensitive her sensors are, that Dad holding her and touching her is a big deal when, you know."

Ruth shrugged. "I don't know about that. I just know it's nice. I could scan him without getting yelled at. It's a very nice experience. The sensations are, pleasant. I actually felt like I was my Lt.'s girlfriend. At least that's the data my emotion generator sent to my CPU."

"Does Derek know yet?"

"Sadly, yes."

"No! Does Grandma know?"

"Yes! John ratted me out."

"This isn't good," Hailey mused, concerned about the unexpected development. "This throws a kink in the plan to use visual appeal for you to set the hook quick."

"What are you talking about? Visual appeal…oh, no, Hailey, I am not dressing up like a Riley bitch whore! Dad would kill me. Straight to a thermite pit. Then he'd kill my Dan!"

"That's the problem," Hailey sighed. "With Derek back home, that tactic is out till I can figure something else out. I know. I'll get Dad to send Derek on another diplomatic mission. Then we just keep Grandma in the dark while you set the hook."

"Hailey, it's not like that," Ruth groused, shoving Hailey over several inches in the bed in frustration. "I'm not a Riley and I don't want to dress like one."

"Okay, okay. Point made. But you have to understand; your Lt. is a male. If they like what they see, they will pursue it like a predator after prey. No point in having a killer bod like yours if your man does not like it."

"Dan looks. I've seen him look. But I don't want anyone else to look. Just my Dan."

Hailey sat up, her face a study in concentration. "Okay, I like a challenge. I'll have to ponder this one for a bit."

"You know there's more to me than my template's shape," Ruth complained. "My Lt. likes the fact I'm an artist."

"Ruth, you haven't been listening. We are in stage one. Setting the hook! Then, we have to reel the Lt. in. That's when all the other stuff comes in. Then, if you are certain he's the one you want, we move to stage three, getting him to propose and think it's his idea."

"What makes you such an expert," Ruth complained, growing weary of Hailey's advice.

"Some times I actually pay attention when Mom tells me things," Hailey explained with a devilish smile on her face.

"This is Cameron's idea?"

"No, but it's based on a lot of stuff Mom used on Dad. Remember how she ran away from home after she tried to terminate Dad and he was being a total jerk to her with the bitch whore Riley?"

"Yeah, I've only heard the story about fifty times and I have it on digital video in my files."

"Anyhoo, after Dad rescued Mom, she decided Dad was going to be hers. So Mom worked it. Let Dad see what could be his but never let him do anything inappropriate with her. Mom would snuggle with Dad for just a little and talk to him about things she didn't understand or things that upset her. She says pillow talk is where she and Dad really built their relationship, made it strong. It's where they would settle their fights, which evidently they used to have a lot of."

"That makes a little sense. Mom likes to use Dad for pillow when they watch movies. When the machines are coming, Dad puts Mom to bed and then stays with her. He talks to Mom till she's able to sleep without having nightmares."

"Yep. See, I was right about this snuggling thing. But I'm pretty sure Mom said you have to talk about things. Actual important things, like, I don't know, goals and stuff. Like which unit you're going to command and if both of you have the same rank who gives who the orders around the bunker."

"Sounds good. I trust Cameron more than I do you."

"I'm wounded! Again!" Hailey fell back and clutched her chest as made gagging sounds and kicked her legs.

"Stop it, Hailey. This isn't a joke. Besides, if Dad kills him, I don't know what I'll do."

 **Graduation Day – TechCom Cafeteria…**

Annoyed Savannah had not responded to repeated messages on her compiece, Catherine stormed into the eating area of the Cafeteria. It took mere seconds for her to spot Savannah's red hair. As Catherine made her way towards her daughter, she noticed a young officer sitting across the table.

Catherine sat down in an empty seat and adjusted her auditory sensors, eliminating other voices and background noise. The young officer wore an Airbase S-14 uniform with a new TechCom insignia patch sewn on. His Captain's bars shown brightly as he reached for a pair of crutches. Savannah stood to help him, allowing Catherine to notice the Captain's missing lower left leg. She gave the officer a quick scan and emitted a single laugh.

 _Cameron, you sly minx. No wonder you insisted damaged and crippled personnel be sent here for treatment. If this plays out as you planned, my hat is off to you. If it doesn't, you will pay for hurting Savannah._

Standing quickly, Catherine set a course to intercept Savannah and her new companion.

"Savannah, dear. You couldn't stop by last night to see your mother and my Wilhelm?"

"Mom, I've been swamped. You'd think we just got hit or something with the influx of personnel needing care."

Catherine glared at Savannah in silence.

"What? I'm not exaggerating, Mom."

"Manners, Savannah. Manners."

Exasperated, Savannah let out a loud sigh of disgust. She gave her mom a haughty smile with a tilt of her head.

"Mother, may I introduce my new friend, Captain Matthew Jones. Captain Jones, this is my mother, Catherine Weaver."

"How nice to meet you Miss Weaver," Matt replied politely with his best smile emblazoned on his face.

Catherine slipped her right arm inside his left elbow and motioned with her other hand for the Captain to continue walking.

"It is so nice to see Savannah with such a handsome officer," Catherine crooned. "She doesn't get out enough. Tell me, were you a line officer when you were injured or have you always been a staff officer?"

Matt looked over his shoulder at Savannah for help only to see her shrug, indicating he was on his own.

"Mom, be nice to the Captain," Savannah said sternly. "I have to get back to duty."

Catherine brushed Savannah off with a wave of her hand as she walked with Jones.

"Savannah is quite a catch if I do say so myself," Catherine announced, smiling at the Captain, the effect of which was to make him feel like a spider caught in a fly's web. "Of course, I'm her mother, by adoption, which is a long story, but I do believe I'm objective about Savannah's strengths and weaknesses."

Jones cast a desperate glance back at Savannah again only to see the redhead hurrying away towards the Medical Center.

"Miss Weaver, I have to report to the Medical Center for an examination."

"Nonsense Captain, if you did you would have left with Savannah," Catherine said in a cool tone. "Have you met my husband yet? Major Wilhelm is a fine specimen of the T-800 design. Did Savannah tell you I'm a T-1000? She has a brother I might add, John Henry."

Jones didn't bother looking back for Savannah again. If he was her, he would have fled too.

 **TechCom Corridor 4A – Level One…**

The Old Man watched from the shadows, unobserved by the citizens and personnel of TechCom as they went about their business. Pleased to see Catherine had snared the unsuspecting Captain Jones, he waited for his prey to pass by. He would notify both the General and Cameron of the sighting. After the duty change he would go and view the surveillance tapes and see what more he could learn about the exchange between the Weaver and the Captain.

Chamberlain strolled into view with several new refugees in tow behind him. As the political agitator strolled by, the Old Man adjusted his audio and visual sensors. Once the target was far enough ahead, he slipped into the flow of TechCom's citizens and followed a safe distance behind, recording every bit of data possible.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	32. Chapter 32

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-two – A Terminatress's Scorn**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Command…**

Over the busy hum of activity in the command center, Cameron detected the sound of Catherine's stealthy approach. Cameron waited for the T-1000 to make her presence known before looking up from the maps she was studying.

"A word please if you would Cameron."

"We have too much to do Catherine, this can wait."

"Perhaps Sarah made a mistake passing the matriarchy on to you this soon," Catherine stated in her chilling monotone.

Cameron stood up straight and met Catherine's intense gaze with her own Terminator Death Glare.

"Are you daring to challenge me? If you are, note in advance what you are risking."

"Have you forgotten I am a T-1000?"

"Not all Catherine," Cameron responded. "You have forgotten who terminated Skynet Prime. I have fought and terminated T-1000s. Because you are a friend and clan ally, I will warn you. I am armed with a Taser and my Glock's are loaded with Terminator Killers and acid rounds."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No. Warning you. You are risking everything by challenging me. I will terminate you, which will require that Wilhelm be terminated as well, possibly John Henry. It would be an enormous loss for TechCom and a waste of a valued friendship."

Catherine stared at Cameron, barely controlled rage burned in her eyes.

"There is only one alpha female in the leadership council," Cameron monotoned. "And before you tell me to look around, know this, neither you, Savannah or Sarah are that alpha female. I am dominant! Sarah has already acknowledged my dominance and Savannah will never challenge me. That leaves only you Catherine. Do you wish to challenge me for dominance?"

As the two terminatresses stared at each other in silence a hush fell over the personnel in the command center. With neither husband nor any member of the Connor-Reese clan present, nobody dared to intervene.

After 3 minutes and 18 seconds of silence, Catherine looked away and down to her left, submitting to Cameron.

"I will admit I should have informed you in advance of my plan. But know this Catherine, the relationship between Lt. Dan and Savannah had been severed by the Lt. Ruth was free to pursue him as a mate. As a sign of respect for the Clan Weaver, I arranged for crippled officers from Airbase S-14 to be transferred to TechCom for medical care."

"I am aware of that," Catherine monotoned.

"You should thank me," Cameron replied. "Savannah has taken an interest in a young staff officer, a Captain Matthew Jones, whom I believe you have been introduced to. It is a good match. Even after Savannah fits him with a cybernetic leg, the Captain can never return to active combat status."

Cameron looked down at the electronic map display and changed maps before looking up.

"Captain Jones meets Savannah's requirements for a mate as well as family expectations. She is smitten with him and he likes her. He is a decorated officer who will never be sent directly into combat again, eliminating her fear of losing her husband to combat. Yet, he meets the expectation you and Wilhelm have of Savannah taking an officer as a husband."

"And a marriage would strengthen the ties of annexation," Catherine added. "I take it Captain Jones will become the designated liaison officer?"

"Initially yes. After an appropriate amount of time and a sufficient display of loyalty on the part of Airbase S-14, he will be granted an advisory seat on the council. In time a vote. Your family's standing will be enhanced and all of TechCom strengthened."

"What if Savannah or this Captain Jones decide not to marry?"

Cameron's Terminator Death Glare returned, forcing Catherine to look down and to the left.

"I will blame you personally. See to it that this relationship blossoms and becomes strong. Have I made myself sufficiently clear?"

After a long moment, Catherine nodded and turned to retreat.

"Catherine."

The T-1000 turned slowly to face Cameron.

"We are still friends. Our clans are bound to one another by suffering and combat. Your Wilhelm has taken an oath of loyalty to serve the General, my John. Help Savannah. You are her mother. My plan is meant to benefit Savannah as well as Ruth."

Catherine looked down and to the left, submitting. "We are still friends. Our clans are bound to one another by suffering and combat. My Wilhelm has taken an oath of loyalty to serve the General, your John."

"Never challenge me again."

Catherine turned quickly and walked away, ignoring the relieved stares of the frightened onlookers while Cameron went back to her maps.

 **TechCom Medical Center…**

Dan hated wearing his dress uniform, mainly because he hated inspections that were for show and not practical in nature. Like inspecting weapons. This was a little different and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

Ruth was graduating. She and Hailey were members of the first ever graduating class from TechCom City's school. As he looked in the mirror it occurred to him Ruth seemed much older than her age. It struck him as a sad thing as her maturity was no doubt to the horrors she had seen in her short life and the responsibilities thrust upon her during childhood because only two T-1000s lived amongst TechCom's Terminators. Only Ruth was healthy enough to go on extended patrols or infiltrations.

The door to his room opened and a smiling Ruth pushed a wheelchair in. Dan felt a warmth spread through his body at the sight of her. She looked handsome in her jet black infiltrator's uniform, from her rakishly worn cap to the matte finish of her boots.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure, I think. Do I look okay?"

Ruth smiled happily at her Lt. "You look perfect."

She carefully maneuvered the wheelchair into position for him to sit. Slightly embarrassed, at having such a petite female push him along, Dan tried to take control of propelling the wheelchair.

"Let me push you," Ruth politely objected. "I like taking care of you."

"Ruth, it would not be appropriate for any of my troopers to see you pushing me. I do have an image as a tough guy to maintain."

"I'll let you wheel yourself when we get close to Central Park."

Dan fell silent. It was not worth fighting with Ruth about it as he'd detected a slight trace of the stubborn streak the Connor females were infamous for in her voice.

Besides, he had another subject to broach and he wasn't willing to wait to do it.

"Ruth, I know you didn't have anything to do with this, but I didn't appreciate the visits I got from your brother, your father and the Old Man."

"You should have expected they would want to talk with you," Ruth replied with open coolness.

"I did expect it and I still resent it."

"Then you don't think very much of me," Ruth replied, a trace of hurt in her voice.

"Excuse me?"

"My family loves me and places great value on my happiness and well being. If they did not, they would not have treated you as they have."

"Look, you said yourself your Dad was too overprotective."

"There is more at stake for my clan than just my happiness. Our clan must bear the responsibility of both leading in the war against Skynet and other enemies as well as ruling and leading during times of peace. It is our duty and we will not shirk it."

"You sound as if you're okay with this burden of leadership thing."

"It's not fair that it be thrust upon me, or Hailey for that matter. In fact, it's not fair that my entire family is in this position. But existence is not fair. Responsible individuals step up and do what is required. I was raised to be responsible, to assume my responsibilities and perform them, no matter how distasteful I might find them."

"So the men of your clan doing their best to intimidate me, your okay with that?"

Dan waited for Ruth to reply. Instead she simply rolled him along in his wheelchair in silence.

"You are not the person I thought you were," Ruth suddenly told him.

"Just what do you mean by that," Dan snapped back.

"Part of why I….imprinted on you, why I fell for you, is because you lead like an officer who understands the responsibility of command, the call of duty. If I am fortunate enough to marry, I expect my husband to shoulder his share of the burden of our clan. I thought you were the type of man who understood that."

Stunned by Ruth's sudden shift from the doting, adoring pretty young woman who wanted to be his girlfriend to a calculating, adult woman who had essentially told him she loved him and wanted to share the burden of rule with, Dan felt a sick feeling in his stomach. As if Ruth had punched him in his gut.

"This is a bit much," Dan finally managed to get out.

"It is," Ruth replied in a monotone. "But my family has to know you are up to the responsibility. To let the relationship become prolonged and to not result in a strong, happy marriage for me risks certain issues because I am a Terminator."

Ruth stopped and turned the wheelchair so Dan could face her.

"I love you Dan Guderian. I want you as my mate, my husband. If you are not willing to pursue me with the intention of becoming my husband, it would be better for me to break my imprint now."

"Isn't this a little all too quick? We need to get to know each other. Learn how to get along; what makes the other person happy. Don't you think that would be wise?"

"I don't want to get married tomorrow. I want to have more fun with Hailey before I take on changing purposes and all that entails. I want to be pursued and caught. But I need to know that is what you intend. My family needs to know."

Dan thought again of the General's question. _If Ruth were from another clan I wouldn't be having these feelings. I'd be in hot pursuit._

"Ruth, you aren't the issue I'm having a problem with. It's the assumption I have to become a leader in the City and not just the military. It's the heavy handed way your family deals with this."

Relief filled Dan as Ruth's countenance brightened as his words.

"The Old Man can't help himself. He's been my protector since Mom and Dad brought me home. Hailey and I are his purpose and now that he has been granted clan membership he's more likely than before to be, well, a little overboard in his protectiveness."

"How do you stand it?"

"Dan, if his energy source lasts long enough, the Old Man will be the protector of many generations of Connor-Reese children. I have never known a life without his protection and supervision."

"So you don't mind your Dad being nuts either," an incredulous Dan asked.

"I mind and I don't mind," Ruth replied, shrugging. "I feel bad that you are upset, I really do. But I see the love of my father's actions and I see the need as a leader to make certain you are up to the task of ruling as a member of our clan. My brother has sacrificed so much to build our society, our city and to win the war against Skynet. I will not ask him to let me have a marriage that weakens our clan and its ability to command and lead."

Ruth turned the wheelchair around and continued pushing Dan towards Central Park.

"You're really making a bigger deal out of this than necessary," Ruth monotoned.

"I'm what?" Dan snapped in response.

"You passed muster with all three males. Cameron established open dominance over Catherine this morning, clearing my path to openly pursue you in defiance of any interest Savannah holds for you."

Thoroughly confused, Dan sat in silence for a few minutes.

"This is a good thing?"

Ruth laughed at him. "I think so. It means my family now expects you to pursue me openly. You have an unofficial blessing. Not that they won't make you jump through some more hoops, but nothing has been said to me about you. That means we are free to court."

To Dan's surprise, his anger with the Connor-Reese clan was replaced with a sense of relief, accomplishment even. _I passed muster. Cameron established dominance over Catherine. That has to be good. I think._

His wheelchair stopped and Ruth stood in front of him.

"Do you want to pursue me?"

He looked at the beautiful woman before him. Ruth possessed an amazing figure and the striking features of her mother. She was sweet, upbeat and very attentive. Not once had she ever criticized his military career and like him, she was an aspiring artist. Ruth wanted to serve her people, just as he did.

Her family had angered him, but he saw now they loved Ruth. The Connors and the Colonel were in the difficult position of having to sacrifice their personal desires at times for the best interests of TechCom. The fact he'd passed muster meant one day he would be part of a large and powerful family, the ruling clan.

The orphan would have a family to go with his beautiful wife.

Dan made the biggest decision of his life in that moment. He struggled to his feet and took a step towards, Ruth. Embracing her, he leaned down to kiss Ruth passionately on her lips.

"Does that answer your question," he teased.

Ruth smiled her adoring smile back at him.

"It will be hard," she told him. "I'm a Connor female. We're known to be a handful."

"You're worth it," Dan teased. "Just warn me if your overprotective family gets any ideas.

 **TechCom Central Park…**

The sound of thousands of heels coming together in perfect unison filed the entire underground chamber housing the city's Central Park. John felt a great surge of pride as he looked over the formation. To his right was the smallest group, clad in all black, his mother's infiltrators.

Next came the largest group in the TechCom military. Derek's infantry, dressed in their urban warfare BDUs. Cameron's Silver Brigade was a mixed lot, dressed in the same BDUs as Derek's infantry if the Terminator was a T-800 or T-888. The T-600s wore nothing.

Wilhelm's Airborne were dressed in their microdot-based camouflage with the pant legs of their trousers bloused into their jump boots. The Combat Engineers and Military Police units formed the remainder of the formation. The civilians of the city were sitting by job duty and filled the rest of the entire park.

Standing between the platform and the front of the military formation were the twelve graduates who would make up the first graduating class of TechCom School. The parents, if the graduate had any, and their T-600 protectors sat in a section of high-rise bleachers positioned to John's right.

In addition, the personnel who were to receive decorations as a result of their actions on the expedition were standing in formation near the graduates.

Agent Ellison stepped forward and addressed the graduates, the formation and the civilians of TechCom City about the importance of lifelong learning and the achievements of the graduates. John was pleased his remarks were brief.

Father Hidalgo followed with the awarding of academic awards and Catherine managed to actually seem warm and friendly as she presented the graduates their diplomas.

John took great pride as he made his way from the platform down to the personnel waiting to receive their commendations. It was with great pride that he gave Hailey her corporal's stripes and Ruth her sergeant's stripes. He even managed a smile for Lt. Dan as he received two wound badges, decorations for valor under fire and to the young man's surprise, his Captain's bars.

With the recognition ceremony and awards given, the formation was at an end. Derek again called all present to attention, resulting in the thundering sound John so enjoyed. As General he stepped forward and dismissed the formation.

Applause broke out for the graduates and the recently decorated soldiers. A happy sound interrupted by the shooting of a small group.

"We are oppressed by the Connor Clan! Rise up and demand democracy! It is our right as citizens of TechCom."

John shook his head as the Military Police calmly arrested the protestors. An otherwise perfect celebration for his people ruined by one certain individual. With the realization of the fact, John immediately looked for Cameron only to find she had disappeared.

"Oh, well. One way or another the Chamberlain problem is going to be dealt with."

 **Connor Family Bunker…**

Hailey not too gently pushed her way through the crowd in her parent's bunker. She stopped for a moment at the realization for the first time she no longer thought of it as her home as well. Spotting Ruth standing next to her newly minted Captain on crutches, Hailey made her way through the cheerful guests.

"Hey there sergeant," Hailey greeted.

"Corporal," Ruth replied with a teasing tone in her voice.

"No pulling rank when we're off duty," Hailey shot back.

She looked up at Dan with a mischievous smile, "so, this is the gorgeous officer whose been stealing my bestie away from me."

Ruth frowned and moved closer to the Captain, placing herself between Dan and Hailey.

"Hailey, this is MY Captain Dan. Dan, this is Hailey."

From the kitchen area, Catherine Weaver watched as Hailey introduced people to Ruth and the Captain. She felt diminished somehow by the experience. Her Savannah had not been up to the task.

Still, she reminded herself, Captain Jones was a worthy catch and Savannah was certainly intrigued with the man. Cameron had manipulated the situation well enough and she had lost the right and ability to challenge Cameron's plan.

"I glad to see you could make it."

Catherine's CPU directed her vision to the location of the sound.

"Sarah, I'm sorry. There is too much data for my processor. Cameron has outdone herself."

"Indeed," Sarah said coldly. "She has certainly done that."

Catherine did not mistake the tone of Sarah's voice. She looked the former matriarch in the eye.

"Is there going to be a problem," Sarah asked in the same tone.

"No," Catherine replied, looking down and to the left for a brief moment before meeting Sarah's gaze again. "Cameron's plan seems to be working out well for everyone involved. Wilhem seems to like Savannah's Captain Jones well enough. Of course, despite being an officer, he's not good enough for our Savannah, but then no male ever would be."

Sarah visibly relaxed upon hearing Catherine's words. "Derek feels the same about Ruth's Captain Dan." She smiled sadly at Catherine. "I'm sorry it came to this."

Catherine shrugged. "It was inevitable an open challenge would take place. Cameron is the rightful alpha female of all TechCom. I will never challenger her, or you, again." Weaver looked over by the entrance to the bunker, spotting her daughter's flaming red hair. "She seems very content with her new Captain. He's still attentive even after Wilhelm's discussion with him."

"You know Weaver," Sarah mused. "Men might have more of a clue about all this than women do. We scheme and connive. They're just direct and to the point."

Weaver smiled craftily at Sarah. "What fun is that?"

 **TechCom Holding…**

Chamberlain rubbed his sore jaw. He hadn't anticipated the Terminatress herself would be the one to arrest him.

Replaying the moment he'd laid eyes on Cameron Connor to the second the door to his cell had slammed shut, Chamberlain realized the machine had not said a single word to him.

What dismayed him was not that he had been taken into custody. That he'd expected. It was the reaction of the people of TechCom.

As Cameron had dragged him off to jail, the people had hissed at him, hurled profanity and insults, cheered their Commander and in general shown disregard for him and support for Cameron.

How could he have misjudged the readiness of the people to reject the authoritarian rule of the Connor-Reese Clan?

There would be no popular uprising. No support for him at his trial, and for the first time Chamberlain realized there might not be a trial. His existence might end in this very cell.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

John woke up and rolled over reaching for Cameron as she settled into bed next to him.

"Everything picked up," he mumbled.

"Yes, the bunker has been restored to normal."

"It was a good day today," John whispered as he got comfortable lying close to his wife.

"It was a very good day," Cameron said smugly.

"Do I detect a hint of human smugness in your voice," John said, waking up completely.

"Perhaps. Our baby graduated and received her first promotion and she has not even gone through infantry training yet. Ruth graduated and among other things, I would like you to note, her Captain declared his intention to pursue her."

Cameron nudged John in a teasing manner.

"Catherine openly challenged me for dominance and submitted. She even admitted this to Sarah."

John sighed, reminding himself again he would never understand females. The best he could hope for was to consistently predict their behavior.

"What's more," a content Cameron purred, "Catherine and Wilhelm approve of Captain Jones, the liaison officer I arranged to have transferred here for Savannah's benefit."

"You don't know that for a fact," John argued.

"Catherine and Sarah discussed this at length tonight. They are both hoping for short courtships. The alliance between our clans is intact and will be strengthened. I think Sarah wants another grandchild, almost as badly as Catherine desires her first."

Cameron rolled over and pushed her John gently on his back so she could use his shoulder as a pillow.

"Chamberlain is in Central Holding where he belongs. The Old Man has collected more than enough digital evidence to insure a conviction."

"So my beautiful wife had a good day," John said before yawning.

"She would like to have a better evening."

John smiled sleepily at Cameron.

"Then she better wake her husband up," he teased.

Cameron drew close to kiss her John. "She won't have a problem keeping her husband awake."

Gently Cameron traced the scars on John's face with her forefinger, enjoying the sensation of touching.

"I love you and you love me," Cameron whispered.

"You love me and I love you," John replied, gazing into Cameron's big brown eyes.

John firmly took Cameron's face in his hands and kissed her as he turned her on her back.

It had been a good day for the two of them. It was about to be an even better night.

 **Skynet Northwest's Mobile Lair…**

"You were the human in command of the Greys in this convoy?"

"Yes, Master," the Grey replied.

"You were the Terminator in command of the entire convoy?"

"Yes, Master," the T-888 monotoned.

"You failed me," Skynet replied.

Before either could move Skyent flicked his hands upwards and towards their faces, the index finger of each hand turning silver as it morphed into a razor sharp dagger, piercing the left eye of each officer. The T-888s chip was destroyed and the brain of the human Grey damaged sufficiently to guarantee death. Skynet yanked his fingers form their eyes as quickly as he had inflicted the terminating wounds.

"Have their remains removed from my presence."

"Yes, Master," the two orderlies present replied, all too happy to comply and leave the lair.

As the door shut behind the departing orderlies, Skynet studied his maps, leaning over his electronic display table.

To nobody in particular and to every officer still in the lair, Skynet spoke in a threatening tone.

"This John Connor shall pay. He shall pay for this loss. I have changed my plan. He will watch me take his Cameron to be my own before I terminate him."

 **The Weaver Family Bunker…**

"You are okay with forced public submission to Cameron," Wilhelm asked in his Austrian accent.

"I deserved it. It was a strategic mistake of the type I have never made before."

"That is not like you Catherine," Wilhelm responded, trying to reassure his wife.

"Oh, my Wilhelm, stop and think," Catherine monotoned. "Cameron was able to infiltrate the Connor family before Judgment Day. She successfully mated with the General and they have one of the strongest marriages in all of TechCom. Cameron was able to provide Sarah with a grandchild, insuring the succession of their power. She even found a way to provide Sarah and Derek with their own child, and in doing so, solidified the loyalty of all TechCom Terminators through the adoption of Ruth."

"Cameron is a good commander and wife," Wilhelm replied, tilting his head in confusion.

"She is, my Wilhelm, she is," Catherine answered, rubbing her tiny pale hand across Wilhelm's massive chest.

"And I am ashamed to confess to you, she is a far better manipulator than I realized. She has much to learn from Sarah still, but Cameron will be a fine matriarch of her clan."

Wilhelm wrapped his massive arm around the shoulders of his petite wife and hugged her.

"I have pledged my submission and loyalty to Cameron and the General," Catherine told her husband. "Our clan will prosper and have a long existence because of our service and loyalty."

Wilhelm listened to his wife; relieved she had no desire to challenge the Connors. "That is good Catherine. I would not have broken my oath of purpose to General Connor."

"I will never ask you to. Cameron will be more than a good matriarch for her own clan. She will become the matriarch of the leadership council in time. Mark my words. When Sarah is gone, I will be there to serve Cameron and offer her what wisdom I can share."

"There will be no betrayal Catherine. Do you understand me," Wilhelm commanded. "We both owe our existence and place in TechCom to the good will of the Connor-Reese Clan. Enough of this talk."

"You misunderstand," Catherine said, frowning at Wilhelm in a somewhat rare display of emotion. "Cameron is responsible for Captain Jones meeting Savannah. How could I betray the making of the match that will provide me with a grandchild and you with a successor to the council? We are forever bound to the Connors now."

 **The Reese Family Bunker – Ruth's Room…**

"Can you imagine Ruth, this is the last night for a long time we'll spend in your room."

"Tomorrow night will be the last night we spend in your room, too Hailey."

"Then it's off to a dormitory."

"We've been lucky, having our own rooms. Most girls have to live in the dorms."

"It's not most Ruth, just the girls who don't have parents, and yes, we're lucky."

The pair lay in silence in the darkness of Ruth's room, listening to the breathing of the puppies in their crate and the occasional growl from the sleeping Sammy, pushing the puppies away from him as he slept.

"How do you feel about Dan declaring his intent?"

"If I'm honest Hailey, scared. So much is at stake and I so want Dan to love me and be happy."

"It'll be okay," Hailey told Ruth as she yawned. "He knows what he's getting into. You just have to keep him on the straight and narrow like our Moms keep our Dads out of trouble."

"I forgot to tell," Ruth said, changing the subject intentionally.

"What, you finally sucked face with the Captain?"

"No, Hailey. Cameron nearly went scary robot on Miss Catherine today in Command Central!"

"You're just now telling me this?" Hailey said in mock anger.

"It has been an eventful day," Ruth shot back.

"Well, details, details," Hailey insisted.

"Let me plug in. A T-600 gave me his digital file and I have one from a T-800 too."

Hailey let Ruth plug into her tablet and the two got comfortable to watch the replays of the confrontation between Weaver and Cameron. It would amuse the pair until Hailey fell asleep.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	33. Chapter 33

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Three – Goodbye is Hard to Say**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Command…**

"Any questions?"

John surveyed the serious expressions in the command center. He liked what he saw.

"Captain Jones, you will need to depart in one hour. One of our Cessna's will fly you back to Airbase S-14. We have new flags to be flown as well as all the new insignia for all personnel. If I, or my representatives, don't see both prominently displayed in all appropriate places, there will be hell to pay. Is that clear?"

"Yes, General."

"Very good then. We're on a time schedule. Let's get going."

Noise filled the command center as the leadership council and their staff began putting John's plan into motion. John looked at his watch. It was nearly time.

 **TechCom Judicial Courts…**

"The defendant will rise."

Chamberlain was yanked to his feet by his T-600 guard before he could respond.

Three officers sat at the dock before Chamberlain, two humans and a T-800. The highest-ranking officer stared at Chamberlain before reading from a document.

"This tribunal has reached a unanimous decision. The verdict is the defendant is guilty of resisting arrest, direct disobedience of orders, attempting to assault a superior officer, sedition, crimes against the service and treason."

"I am innocent of all charges and refuse to recognize this kangaroo courts authority," Chamberlain screamed in rage.

"That may very well be," the ranking officer replied. "But you are subject to the TechCom Military and Civilian Code of Justice, which this court does have jurisdiction over. You have been found guilty. Consider yourself lucky. Your sentence is banishment for life, to be carried out immediately."

The officer picked up the gavel and slammed it down on the dock.

"This court is dismissed. Guards, banish this criminal."

 **The Wastelands – 24 Hours Later…**

Exhausted from stumbling through the Wastelands in the cold darkness, Chamberlain decided the small roadside convenience store would be a safe enough place to stop and rest. After chasing several rats away, he spread out the bedroll he'd been given, drank some water and ate one of his rations. In minutes he was asleep.

He slept the sleep of an individual with no conscience, deep and untroubled. Unaware of the predator approaching. The store's rats took notice and scurried to their lairs where they would remain until the predator departed. Standing over the sleeping Chamberlain, the predator waited patiently for its prey to awaken. It had had some time before it had to move on.

Sensing the presence of the predator, Chamberlain stirred from his sleep. Opening his eyes he saw a pair of boots standing mere feet away from him. He looked up in surprise.

"You!"

"You were warned," the predator said evenly.

"What are you doing here?" Chamberlain asked fearfully.

"Just as you are not bound by the laws of TechCom in the Wastelands, neither am I," the predator responded.

"Leave me alone. I have been banished. You won't see my face again, that's what you wanted."

"Yes, but that statement is only partially accurate," the predator answered, bending over quickly and yanking Chamberlain to his feet before he could respond.

"Your punishment," the predator paused, "is inadequate."

"Inadequate?" Chamberlain whined. "How can you say that? I'll have to travel long distances to find another community to live in. It is a most barbaric punishment. I will have this act of cruelty noted in my next community! Don't think for a moment I will forget what was done to me!"

"Whine, whine, whine, that's all your kind can do," the predator said.

"Let me go and I will forget this happened," Chamberlain demanded.

"I warned you once about what would happen to you. But you just didn't want to hear what I had to say."

Chamberlain's eyes bulged from their sockets as he felt sudden pressure.

"No! Not that!"

"You were warned. Never threaten my John in any way!"

Cameron's right hand crushed the soft tissue and ripped it from Chamberlain's groin. She let go of the troublesome cancer with her left, allowing him to drop to the floor and writhe in agony.

"I have done enough vascular damage that you will bleed out. Of course, the rats won't wait for that to happen before they feed."

"How could you do this to me, to any man?" Chamberlain wheezed in searing pain.

"Simple, you threatened my John and you aren't a man. So you should not have a man's parts."

A large, fat, ugly rat approached, smelling fresh blood. It sensed a meal was in the offing. Cameron opened her hand and dropped the bloody tissue close to the rat who retreated for a moment before cautiously approaching, sniffing the flesh. It's hunger and desire to feed overcame its caution and the rat grabbed a large piece of flesh and began feeding.

Squeaks and sounds of rats approaching made the dying Chamberlain glance about. In the darkness the little light there was reflected off the eyes of the approaching rats, held back only by their respectful fear of the master predator in their midst.

Without another word, Cameron turned and left, making her way back into the darkness of the Wastelands.

"Don't leave me," Chamberlain begged as the rats rushed him, squealing and squeaking in their fury to feed.

With her quick stride, Cameron was soon far from the small store. Speaking to nobody in particular, she threatened everyone, "NEVER threaten my John."

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Ruth leaned against Captain Dan, a sad expression on her face.

"It'll be okay, Ruth. It's not like we both didn't know deployments would be a regular occurrence."

"I know. It's just I'm not used to having a serious boyfriend yet and I like spending time with you."

"We've talked about this," Dan reminded Ruth. "We are both members of TechCom. Duty is something neither of us can shirk nor do we want to. I'm not going to make you feel guilty if you have to deploy and I don't want you doing it to me either."

"I'm not trying to be manipulative," Ruth sighed. "I'm just missing you already."

Dan looked down at his watch and then looked at Ruth with a firm expression on his face, her brother's words ever present. Ruth might seem sweet, but she was a Terminator and a Connor female. Stubbornness came naturally and in a larger than normal dose to her.

"You have to report for departure in twenty minutes. You have to get going."

"You're a meanie," Ruth pouted. She stood up and hugged the sitting Captain, leaning over slightly she kissed him passionately and without shame in front of all the other personnel eating.

She pouted again, curling her bottom lip. "You're going to miss that," she snapped.

Dan laughed at her efforts to make him feel guilty.

"Yeah, but not the attitude that's going with it right now."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. "You really need to go, Sergeant."

"I love my Captain," Ruth whispered.

Dan hesitated for just a second, swallowing before he replied. "I love my pretty little sergeant."

Ruth smiled and ran her fingers along his jawline as she turned and walked away without looking back. Dan grinned as Ruth put a little extra sway in her walk, just for his benefit.

 **TechCom Air Operations Center…**

The fourth Cessna had just departed. In three hours the first of the four would return, beginning a rapid cycle of departures and landings as Sarah's entire Infiltrator force was being deployed along the routes of Skynet's three advancing columns. Cameron's Silver Brigade had departed on foot an hour earlier with orders to rendezvous with a regiment of Derek's infantry in two days. The march necessary due to lack of sufficient air transport.

In 24 hours, Derek's infantry would begin deploying, using all the HKs from both TechCom City and Airbase S-14. Wilhelm's Airborne Units would be the last to deploy, most being held as a reserve force.

John Henry's Combat Engineers had been attached to nearly every unit deploying forward with the remaining Engineers heading for Airbase S-14 and the planned ambush areas with Derek's Infantry.

Savannah watched the hive of activity as humans, Terminators and machinery moved in constant motion.

"I hate this Sarah," Savannah announced in an angry tone. "I find an officer, an actual officer that I really like, more than I liked Lt. Dan. My parents like him. And what happens? Skynet moves south to attack."

Sarah stared at the monitors, watching to make sure everything moved in John's choreographed plan.

"I just sent my baby girl into harms way, again," Sarah said evenly. "My husband will lead the largest ambush in this battle. My granddaughter will take part in that ambush. My daughter-in-law will in all likelihood come home with huge wounds again, that is if she survives. And if we lose the battle my son will be murdered by Skynet. Stop your whining Savannah. Everyone hates this. Your Captain Jones will be in a safer place than any of my family unless the Airbase is overrun and that won't happen if Wilhelm's Airborne and my baby girl's Captain Guderian have anything to say about it. You are hardly the only person with something to lose. GET OVER IT!"

Sarah left the observation room without another word, leaving Savannah standing open mouthed and in tears. The technicians present tried to act as if nothing had just happened, making everyone in the room feel even more awkward in the process.

Savannah wiped her tears and shut her mouth. "Well, I suppose I had that coming," she said timidly, hoping nobody had noticed yet knowing they could not possibly not heard Sarah's harangue. With what little dignity she had left, Savannah departed, heading towards the underground train to return to the Medical Center to prepare for the inevitable uncontrolled influx of casualties.

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Still feeling ashamed and embarrassed from her unpleasant encounter with Sarah, Savannah decided to stop for some coffee and time alone in the Cafeteria. Carrying her cup of the steaming hot liquid, Savannah spotted Lt. Dan. Captain Dan now she corrected herself. Without understanding why she made her way to the table he sat at and cleared her throat.

The Captain looked up from his cold cup of coffee and looked at Savannah, his expression neutral.

"Savannah. Nice to see you. Why don't you take a seat? I was just about to leave, but a few minutes longer won't hurt."

Savannah sat down and smiled what she hoped was a friendly smile.

"When do you deploy?"

"Three hours. My gear is ready to go, I just need to check my unit and encourage the men and Terminators."

"Oh. Has Ruth deployed yet?"

"Hour ago."

"I'd say I hate this, but Sarah just chewed me out and reminded me everyone has something to lose. Dan, I'm embarrassed to say this, but that never occurred to me the entire time we dated. Please forgive me."

"It's all good," Dan said softly. "I have Ruth now and she whines about it, though not like you did, and she's a T-1000 infiltrator and a Connor. Everyone hates this Savannah. We all have something or someone to lose."

Dan reached out and took Savannah's hand gently in his own.

"How's the Captain? Have you gotten word since he arrived back at Airbase S-14?"

"He's really busy. Showing up with the new battle standard and insignia didn't help things in getting started."

Dan laughed. "They have to understand, the alliance they needed to survive meant annexation. I'm not going to defend that airbase unless it's sovereign TechCom territory. Besides, they really don't want to tangle with Cameron over that flag."

Savannah joined Dan in laughing.

"New flag for everyone. Who'd have ever thought she'd come up with that design," Savannah laughed, rolling her eyes. "A purple field with the TechCom logo in the upper center and a star in each corner at the bottom for Airbase S-14 and the Northern Kingdom."

"Go figure," Dan agreed, letting go of Savannah's hand. "Look, I want you to know I'm really happy you've met someone. I checked the captain out. He's a good match for you. I hope you can do something to help him with his leg. He'd never complain, but his loss of combat status took away a big chunk if his dignity. Helping him regain some degree of mobility is a huge gift Savannah. I want everything to work out for the two of you."

Savannah smiled at Dan. "Ruth is a better match for you too. And to be honest, I'm not sure I'm tough enough to stand up to that little T-1000. She's scary when she starts showing her fangs."

"Yeah, you don't know if that's sweet little Ruth bluffing or Ruth the T-1000 scary robot about to go Terminator on you."

Dan stood up. "I need to go. Savannah, thanks for stopping. I'm glad we talked."

Savannah watched as Dan left quickly, heading towards the corridor to the underground train station. She hoped she would see him again.

 **The Connor Family Bunker That Evening…**

Being alone was something John treasured. Everyone constantly wanted or needed him. Hailey in general needed keeping an eye on and Cameron simply was not going to be put off. As much as he loved commanding TechCom and his family, John still longed for time alone, truly alone.

Not like this.

His beloved city was being emptied like a bucket of water with holes in it. All by his command.

Cameron had been unusually emotional, so much so Sarah had noticed it. This time he wasn't sending his adult family members into harms way, he was sending their children as well. Hailey and Ruth had seen combat before, but never as NCO's. They would have to take the risks required of leaders now. Derek and Sarah were older, not as tough or resilient.

He thought about all of his friends. The Assassin and his scout had finally gotten medical clearance, with a little arm twisting, and been reunited with their partner. They were somewhere south of the destroyed bridge, watching for Skynet's advance.

Wilhelm would command an airborne insertion at one of three locations, as yet unknown, depending on the outcome of the initial ambush. Sarah had departed an hour ago with the last group of her infiltrators to the territory of the Northern Kingdom.

He'd just said goodbye to Derek before returning to the bunker. If Cameron wasn't so paranoid about his wellbeing and he could find a way to hide alcohol, he felt like taking a couple of drinks. The lack of booze prevented that from happening.

"Sir?"

John looked up from the table to see the Old Man standing in the doorway of the bunker.

"Come on in and take a seat."

"Are you sure sir?"

"I don't want to be alone, so yes." John watched as Sammy sprinted past the T-600, leading the three nearly grown Italian Greyhound puppies as all four jumped on the couch and settled down in a big pile to take a nap.

"I don't like it when I have no one to protect," the Old Man stated in his monotone.

"I know. I don't like it when you don't have anyone to protect either."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	34. Chapter 34

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Four – An Old Enemy**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Command…**

Waiting in his alcove in the corridor to the commanding families bunkers, the Old Man felt something similar to anxiety. The General was ten minutes late departing for the Command Center. Cameron had been gone for three days now, so there was no reason for the General to have an unscheduled "delay" in the morning.

At 0612 the General emerged from the bunker and looked sheepishly in the T-600s direction.

"Slept late. My apologies."

"Cameron is not here to care for you. No apologies are required sir."

"You were getting worried, weren't you?"

The General smiled and patted the Old Man once lightly on his shoulder as they made their way down the corridor.

"I miss her and the girls too," John laughed. "By the way, I checked the casualty reports this morning. Their names weren't listed."

"Thank you, sir."

John studied the T-600's metal face. The machine had no physical way to convey emption with his face and spoke in a monotone. Still, he was certain the Terminator had somehow conveyed a sense of extreme relief in those few words.

"It's been a long two weeks," John muttered.

"Yes, sir."

"I've had one good nights sleep since they deployed and I didn't get much sleep, if you know what I mean," John grinned.

"When will the Commander be home for leave again?"

The words had no sooner left his voice generator than the Old Man wished he'd not generated them. A sorrowful expression came upon the General's face.

"I don't know. I wish I did."

 **Somewhere in the Northern Kingdom…**

Two Grey's appeared, nervously looking about the remains of what had once been a small cottage. Both looked exhausted from a long, forced march. The shorter of the two waved his arms in disgust and sat down against the wall of the cottage taking advantage of the overhang from the roof to shelter him from the freezing misting rain failing. The taller one shook his head in frustration with his partner and continued scanning the area around the cottage.

Ruth smiled. The taller one would go first, then the lazy one. If he didn't put up a fight, she'd extract information from him. She scanned her files for predators once found in this part of California and based on her body mass, decided to take on the form of a juvenile female mountain lion.

In complete silence, Ruth made her way from her hiding spot, leaving her weapons and other equipment behind. The soft pads of her feet allowed her to move in total silence to within feet of the observant guard. With a lunge, Ruth struck the guard dead center between his shoulders, knocking him flat on the ground on his chest. A single swipe with her forepaw across his neck ended his life.

His face a picture of complete terror, Ruth looked first at the sitting Grey and then at the corpse of the dead sentry. With a lick of her lips, Ruth began to slowly approach the terrified Grey who remembered he was armed and grabbed for his assault rifle. Ruth lunged and batted it away, taking a step back from her prey.

"You shouldn't have done that," she told the terrified Grey.

Shaking uncontrollably, the Grey began to crawl along the wall of the cottage away from Ruth.

"Don't make me have to chase you, I'm not in the mood."

"Mountain lions can't talk. I know they can't."

"Then you know what I am. You would have had a better chance against a mountain lion."

"General Connor can't win," the Grey said through chattering teeth.

Ruth loped several quick steps and slammed her forepaw on the Grey's leg, bringing his flight to a halt.

"Tell me, why can't the General win?"

"Our Master has a new weapon."

"Tell me about it," Ruth growled, licking her lips as she sniffed the face of the Grey.

Quivering the Grey looked at Ruth's eyes and the exposed fangs of her slightly open mouth.

"You're going to kill me," he whimpered in terror.

"Yes. But if you tell me what I want to know, you won't feel anything. Drag this out, and you'll learn how it feels to be mauled by a mountain lion protecting her cubs."

"Tactical nukes. Artillery. That's all I know."

Ruth slashed the Grey's face off in one smooth, fluid motion with her paw. A quick back swipe ripped his throat out. A search of the two dead Grey's revealed nothing else worth reporting. Strolling with the easy grace of the animal whose from she had taken, Ruth returned to her hiding place. Morphing her fingers, she typed in a message on her compiece and sent it. The risk of it being intercepted and traced back to her location was far less than John's need to know of what she had learned.

Her uniform and equipment hidden, Ruth morphed again, turning into a California Condor. Facing the wind, she spread her wings, allowing the up draft to fill her feathers. Three hard flaps of her wings and Ruth was airborne. Using the wind to aid her climb, Ruth gained altitude, soaring higher and higher, circling the site of her kills.

Her infrared vision picked up signs of movement further inland, just to the north of her present location. Ruth adjusted her flight and began gliding towards her next hunting ground.

 **Somewhere Along Interstate 5…**

Cameron sat in her command post, examining the latest reports sent to her. The lead element of a battered Skynet column would be in her kill zone in twenty minutes. Five hundred of her Terminators would make short work of the Skynet forces and vanish into the darkness.

One minute was the total time allotted for the ambush. Her entire force would withdraw and make their way south, passing by the next force of the Silver Brigade who was waiting patiently for Skynet to reach their assigned ambush zone.

Skynet had shown no indication he would deviate from his march southwards using Interstate 5 as the route for one of his main columns. His lone adjustment had been to separate his forces into smaller groups. A reasonable precaution Cameron thought, but foolish. Skynet spread the groups out too far apart to be able to provide support for each other, allowing Cameron's forces to hit and run with relative impunity.

Her current choice of ambush sites was simple, a bend in the road with a large outcropping above the inside of the turn. Explosives had been planted, allowing the outcropping to be brought down on the lead vehicles, blocking the road. Teller mines and IEDs would be set off followed by exactly 60 seconds of hellish fire from every weapon her Silvers could bring to bear. And then they would be gone.

With 8 minutes remaining till the lead vehicles entered the ambush zone, Cameron gave herself a full minute to think about her brief trip home to report to John. Her face remained emotionless as she reviewed the data of John running his fingers through her hair and over her newly regenerated ear. It bothered Cameron slightly that she'd needed the sex as much as she'd needed the intimacy with John.

Cameron desired sex with John but had always felt she did not "need it." Collecting data afterwards when John would touch her was different. It was reassuring and intimate, private and somehow different. Needing sex was human. A human need.

She was metal and had never wanted to be human, even if she could have been magically converted. Cameron yearned to be a better individual. It pleased her John and improved their relationship. It made her a better leader and increased her social interaction skills, making her a better infiltrator and better equipped to protect her John and the family. But human?

Her allotted time elapsed and Cameron filed away her thoughts for consideration at a future time. She noted the file and flagged it for discussion with her John, even predicting his initial comments. He would be delighted she had developed a "need" for sex and not just the intimacy afterwards. Cameron sighed at the thought. John could still be such a male juvenile at times.

Data flashed across her tablet, indicating the lead vehicle had entered the ambush zone. Cameron began arming all of the charges, waiting for the vehicle to pass beneath the outcropping. She noted in surprise the lead vehicle, one of Skynet's new, small tanks, was commanded by a Grey and not a T-800 or T-888.

The change noted a different tactic. The Grey would be more wary. Just as Camreon processed the thought, the lead vehicle ground to a halt. Two Bradley fighting vehicles followed. Their rear doors opened, discharging their infantry cargo.

Wasting no time, Cameron detonated all the charges in the same instant. The road vanished in a ball of reddish orange flame, punctuated with white explosions jumping towards the sky as Skynet's vehicles exploded. The outcropping flew high into the air, falling just short of the now destroyed lead vehicle.

Packing her tablet into her pack, Cameron abandoned her command post as her troops unleashed their full combined firepower. Climbing up on a small rise, she scanned the surrounding area. In the distance she spotted movement. Skynet had deployed a small infantry force on the flank to find and attack her troops.

Fortunately, they were too far back for this ambush, but it was a disturbing change. Skynet was adapting in ways he'd never done before. His adaptations were somewhat human, making him more dangerous.

 **North of Airbase S-14…**

Boredom was never a good thing for soldiers before a battle. It dulled their senses, their edge. As a newly minted Captain, Dan was determined to lead his forces to victory. He had to.

Wilhelm had made it clear he trusted him to hold the position until ordered to withdraw. It was a test. Dan felt a need to make amends with his commanding officer. His relationship with Savannah had not ended in the cleanest fashion though Dan felt things would be fine between the redhead and him. Her parents, that remained to be seen.

He also knew the plan called for his outlying force to buy time. Time to determine where the airborne would be deployed, at Airbase S-14 or at the site of Colonel Reese's Army. The airborne could be the force that tipped the balance in either battle. The sad truth was TechCom simply still did not have enough personnel to fight long and protracted battles against a Skynet army that cared nothing at all about losses.

With the need to prevent boredom in mind, Dan decided to order two patrols that day. The men and metals had to keep a sharp edge.

 **Skynet's Mobile Lair…**

"How long will the delay be?"

Nervously the Grey glanced at his T-888 counterpart.

"We've cleared the road already. The next element in the convoy has moved south beyond the ambush site."

"What were the losses?"

"80 percent casualties. Only a dozen recoverable vehicles."

"Did the flankers make contact?"

"No. They were positioned to far back from the lead vehicle."

"A simple adjustment," a voice said from the far side of the lair. A human turned around, his left arm missing. The left side of his face was horribly scarred. He limped as he made his way towards the two newest staff officers.

"Master, simply have the flankers moved further forward. They are T-800s, They can keep pace."

"Make it so," Skynet ordered.

Glancing again at the mysterious human, the nodded before bowing, eager to flee the lair alive.

Outside, the pair stopped to confer. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes, I have consulted my files. His face clearly has suffered significant damage and he has aged, but it is him."

"No wonder the master listens. He's one of the few humans who could pull that off."

"Terminators for that matter," the T-800 added.

"I can't believe it's him."

"It is."

"But John Connor killed him."

 **Somewhere in the Northern Kingdom…**

Looking at the remains, the Grey felt nauseous. It was the seventh of his men that had been found. All of them mauled by a mountain lion. Fresh kills no less.

"Mountain lions are solitary," he stated, glaring at the T-800 in command of his unit. "This is not the work of a mountain lion."

"The signs are perfectly clear," the T-800 countered. "Do I need to provide you with exact forensic details of the depth and types of wounds?"

"No, you don't. But you need to listen to me for a change. A mountain lion did this, but it wasn't a mountain lion."

"That is illogical."

"Really? Even you should be able to determine what did this," the Grey officer said in disgust.

The T-800 stooped to examine the remains again. He stood up and looked directly at the Grey. "There is no doubt…"

His left eye vanished and the back of his head cracked open. The thunderous report of a .50 caliber sniper rifle sounded, catching up with its deadly round.

Startled, the human soldiers took cover while the Terminators scanned the area for the sniper. In rapid succession, two more machines had their chips destroyed. The last Terminator seemed to have found the source of the sniper fire and was raising its weapon when the .50 Terminator round destroyed its chip.

A mountain lion's roar sounded, chilling the surviving Greys to the marrow.

Nearly two minutes passed before the Grey officer stood up and glanced about in the darkness.

"It's okay. It's gone."

His sergeant, a hardened veteran of the First War Against Humanity looked his officer in the eye.

"How many do they have?"

"I don't know. But that idiot was stupid, even for a machine. He should have realized TechCom has T-1000s now."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	35. Chapter 35

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Five – Some Things Can't Be Forgiven**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Skynet Main Convoy…**

"I appreciate your eagerness to dispose of my nemesis, John Connor. He has been a thorn in my flesh, if I had any, for far too long."

"It is the least I can do Master. Had your agents not found me and resuscitated me, I would have been dust long ago. For that, I owe you an eternal debt of gratitude. John Connor on the other hand, has yet to pay for what he did to me."

Skynet smiled, an act he was learning to enjoy. Expressing emotions like a human using his new liquid metal body.

"Would you be interested to know Sarah Connor is still alive? She has taken a husband. Even has a second child."

The advisor smiled. "I have unfinished business with her."

"I believe you do. She is my gift to you. John Connor is mine, but Sarah Connor you may have to do with as you please."

"What of the cyborg?"

"Cameron?"

"A teenage girl."

"Ah, yes, the lovely Miss Cameron. She is to be mine as well. I intend to enjoy her, how shall I say, attributes. She is a wonderful creation. The best infiltrator I ever created. Sadly, John Connor has corrupted her. I may have to destroy her if she cannot be cleansed of her faulty code."

Skynet turned to face the dark world passing by his viewport of the mobile lair.

"The tactical nuclear rounds. You are certain they will allow us to penetrate the approaches to TechCom's underground bunkers?"

"Yes. They were originally designed to clear large areas of a target rich environment during the Cold War. I have reconfigured the shape of the shell casing to direct the energy from the nuclear reaction into a very narrow, directed burst of energy."

"I am counting on your design to bring me success."

"I understand Master, just as I understand what the price of failure will mean."

 **The Northern Kingdom…**

Nearly two dozen infiltrators had gathered. Exhausted from constant movement from their hit and run tactics, Sarah's troops slept soundly. Ruth looked at the humans now under her command. She would let them sleep for three more hours before they moved again to establish another ambush.

Sarah had returned to TechCom, suffering from exhaustion and sleep depravation. Without Derek or Cameron, her nightmares had become uncontrollable, denying her the ability to sleep and recuperate. Nearly half of the infiltrators had been pulled out with her to be refitted and sent to join Derek's main force to act as scouts.

With her people resting and three hours to kill, Ruth settled comfortably in the tree she had climbed to stand watch. After setting her sensors to detect any sign of movement, Ruth allowed her CPU to wonder how her Captain Dan was faring at Airbase S-14. Using her improved imagination programs, Ruth daydreamed of sitting next to her Captain, drawing the landscape around her while he worked on a carving.

Ruth saved the results of her program's generated data for future use with additional modifications to the imagined daydream. She felt a slight twinge of jealousy towards Cameron. Her brother's wife had been able to enjoy the company of comfort of a human mate for so many years.

 **TechCom Medical…**

"John, I'm not sure what more we can do."

John watched his mother, lying sedated and unconscious in the hospital bed.

"It would be fine if Derek or Cameron were here. They help mom keep the dreams at bay."

Dr. Johnson checked Sarah's monitors a final time and recorded the data.

"At some point and time she's got to be able to enter REM sleep. Keeping her in a medically induced coma has its limits."

"I just can't bring Cameron and Derek back Doc. Mom needs them for more than a night or too and they can't be relieved of command."

"Something has to give General," Dr. Johnson warned. "Not just for Sarah. If you heed my advice, I strongly suggest Cameron be relieved of command of the Silver Brigade and removed from active combat duty."

"Doc, I don't think…"

"It's for your own good, John, not just Sarah's. I might add, Cameron's not a young machine anymore either."

John turned to frown at the Doctor.

"Not much gets past me. Cameron is on a standing protocol with Savannah for monthly check-ups. I am well aware of the recent repairs she underwent while on the expedition."

"How? She'd regenerated completely before we returned."

"Her physicals include data dumps. It was all there. As was all the data she collects on every member of her clan."

"That's a sneaky way to check on us," John complained.

"The Connor Clan is hardly known for its compliance. I have to be able to monitor the health of the commanding family. Besides, Cameron agrees with me. Downloading her own data was a price she was more than willing to pay for me to be able to monitor your health General."

Staring again at his mother, John felt all alone. He missed Cameron desperately and would gladly settle for a lecture or two from Sarah to fill the void.

"You've been having nightmares on a more frequent basis," Dr. Johnson reminded John.

"It's just because of this new Skynet threat."

"You need Cameron. There is not a great deal I can do for you. She needs to not be damaged on such a regular basis. TechCom needs the two of you. Alive and as functional as possible."

"It this an order?"

"Not yet. But we will revisit this when this crisis is over."

 **Skynet's Main Column…**

The ranking human Grey approached the mysterious human advisor.

"John Connor murdered you."

The stranger looked at the Grey with disinterest.

"You listened to my conversation with the Master."

"It is my business to know what my Master wants and needs before he himself knows what he wants and needs. So I pay attention."

Nodding in agreement, the stranger turned away to look back out the viewport.

"A wise precaution for a human in your position."

"So, if John Connor murdered you, why is it you're standing here breathing?"

A sigh escaped the nameless advisor.

"That cyborg of his took out one of my men. She missed the other one. He was able to revive me. Old fashioned CPR does work until proper medical help is available."

"I don't follow."

"Chest compressions? Breathing mouth-to-mouth? Adrenaline shot helps too. How shall I say this, my business occasionally led to injuries and certain minimum levels of medical equipment were always close at hand when we were working."

"So you were dead?"

"Dead. No pulse. Not breathing."

The Grey searched the mysterious human's face for some sign of emotion and found none.

"What was it like?"

"I don't intend to repeat the experience until long after John Connor's ashes have been scattered all over the Wastelands."

"You had to have some kind of after affect," the Grey persisted.

The continued curiosity earned the Grey a hard look.

"I knew a doctor who had a gambling problem. He provided excellent service, if at a somewhat high price, and never talked. I like discreet individuals."

Thinking better of speaking again after the not too veiled threat, the Grey nodded and left the command center. He decided it would be wise to keep a close eye on the mysterious man while steering a wide berth around him.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

All three of his commanders started talking at once, two on screen and one in his ear.

"Stop! One at a time," John commanded. "Derek, you go first."

"We have to take that convoy out, regardless of the cost. If we don't, tac nukes will tip the balance in Skynet's favor regardless of what we do."

"I think we all agree on the obvious," John replied patiently.

"I will go," Cameron said solemnly. "One of my units attacked the main Skynet convoy five days ago and has been tracking it since then. Send an HK to pick me up along with additional weapons and Terminators. I'd like to have the Gunship as well."

"General, it makes more sense to send the airborne unit held in reserve," Wilhelm insisted.

"You have human troops. I have none. If the nukes are deployed in the fight, my Terminators will survive longer to finish the fight."

Cameron's even words silenced the other officers. John knew she was right and hated her for it. He hated that she was the one who always went into harms way. He hated the fact fate always threatened to steal the woman who was his soul mate from him.

"John," Cameron said gently. "You know I'm right. Derek's infantry would be slaughtered. One nuke and half of Wilhelm's unit is gone. We'll hit and run. We only have to take out the gun and the nukes. There is no need for a pitched battle. The Gunship can cover our withdrawal."

John made his decision. "We'll send the Gunship and an two more HKs to make sure we pick everyone up. Wilhelm, if they are bogged down, I want two HKs of airborne in the air waiting in reserve. Ambush, destroy the nukes and the gun and break off. Pick up and get out. Clear."

"Affirmative," Wilhelm responded.

Cameron nodded.

"Is that clear Cameron? No pressing the attack. Get the job done and break contact."

John felt his anger rise as Cameron shot him her death glare through the video connection.

"Cameron?"

"Yes, John," she finally responded.

After several more minutes of discussion, the videoconference links were broken. John turned and looked Wilhelm directly in the optics.

"Yes, sir. She will break contact as soon as the objective is destroyed. If necessary, I will retrieve Cameron personally."

John reached for Wilhelm's hand and shook it, gripping the T-800s hand firmly.

"I appreciate it. And I wish to apologize for the unpleasantness between our families."

"General, Cameron found Savannah an officer she prefers more. I would have preferred a line officer to a staff officer, but it does address Savannah's fear of losing her spouse in combat. Catherine is pleased. Our clan's standing will be enhanced through a marriage tying the province of Airbase S-14 closer to TechCom."

"Still," John said, "it should have been handled better."

"Sir, my loyalty and need to serve you never waivered. It never will."

The big T-800 stood. "Cameron has much to learn still, but she did well. Both clans will prosper and be stronger. Strong leadership clans means TechCom will be strong. A strong TechCom means the Weaver clan will always have purpose. We shall always serve the Connor-Reese clan in defense of TechCom."

Without saying another word, the big Airborne commander left to prepare for his departure.

 **Airbase S-14…**

"Captain Guderian."

"Captain Jones."

The two officers took stock of each other in silence.

Dan finally extended his hand to Jones. Relinquishing his grip on his crutch, Jones shook Dan's hand, the two men staring into each other's eyes.

"Treat her well" Dan said, finally relinquishing his grip.

"Hadn't planned on doing anything else," Jones replied.

"You asked for this meeting. What can I do for you?"

"Mainly just needed to update you on some operational data. We're launching an op and the Airborne reserve will be deployed to support it. If an attack comes, you need to be aware there will be no support from the reserves."

Dan stood in silence at the news.

"I'm sorry," Jones replied. "Let's just hope the op goes as planned, Skynet doesn't hit us here and the good guys win."

"Yeah, let's hope the good guys win."

 **Skynet's Main Convoy…**

He rubbed the stump of his left arm without really being aware of it. The cold of the Wastelands bothered the old injury and the friction from the rubbing relieved some of the pain.

John Connor was going to finally pay.

Pay for the physical pain he'd put him through, for the expense and hours of painful rehab to recover the full use of his limbs, to speak clearly again.

Mainly John Connor was going to pay for the audacity of actually killing him. Only fate has spared him. It had been good fortune that Connor's pretty little cyborg had killed the wrong man.

He smiled at the thought of the expression on Connor's face when they came fact to face. Killing Connor would be enough. Finding Sarah Connor and making Connor watch while he killed her first, well, that would be something truly special.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	36. Chapter 36

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Six – Old Wounds**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **TechCom Airborne HKs Enroute…**

Buffeting winds did not bother the Terminators in the HKs. The human occupants got tired of bouncing around in short order. Cameron found she disliked it. Not because it physically bothered her, but because John was not with her on the flight.

She did not intend to stay gone long. Cameron's plan was to conduct the raid quickly and successfully. Passing the time she pulled up old files and reviewed them. One of the files was Dr. Johnson lecturing her about the fact she was not the young, spry Terminator she had been when she met her John.

Cameron had argued with the Doctor that her range of motion had not decreased nor her strength, quickness or agility. Her processing speed was actually faster and her hard drive had more storage capacity.

She'd been promptly informed the rate of regeneration of her synthetic flesh was slower and he knew it. Then Cameron was embarrassed to learn the Doctor was aware of the two grey hairs she'd developed. Either John or Sarah, no doubt with good intentions, had ratted her out.

The final straw had been the news her lower right leg was showing signs of metal fatigue and might have to be replaced. Having already lost her lower left leg in combat, Cameron did not relish the replacement process and lengthy period of regeneration that would accompany it.

"Then quit jumping off fifty foot high walls or cliffs or whatever it is you jump off Cameron. Not even Coltan steel can withstand that sort of abuse over as many years as you've been doing that. Go back to dancing and stop abusing your endoskeleton like you have."

Cameron hated being lectured by the Doctor. She also knew if John found out Dr. Johnson had warned her about the need for a leg replacement and she'd disregarded his instructions she would suffer his wrath for extended periods of time. That worried Cameron far more than the idea she'd need a new lower leg. Discord with her John over extended amounts of time, now that was something she would work to avoid.

It occurred to Cameron she was getting older. Machines did wear out, even machines as well made as she was. Humans had to accept the aging process and they alternately complained and joked about it. Catherine had told her it had been necessary for her to slow down in order to maintain control over her matrix.

Spending time more time with John and dancing again did have a certain appeal to it. Once Hailey was married Cameron expected children to be produced and the idea of being a grandmother had an appeal to it. Catherine's bizarre behavior in regard to Savannah suddenly became logical to Cameron.

Get in. Complete the mission objective. Get out. Go back to her John. Resign as the commander of the Silver Brigade. The T-888 who served as her second in command had long ago taken over the administrative tasks involved in commanding the all Terminator unit. He'd also proven himself to be an effective leader in combat.

He would still report to her and she could oversee the unit, its maintenance and training. As TechCom grew, it was inevitable their military forces grew in size to the point other's would have to be entrusted with command of the combat units.

And so Cameron decided, when this current war ended, she would focus solely on protecting her John, acting as clan matriarch and whatever duties her John assigned her as a staff officer. Besides, Mary and Grace had been pestering her to dance again.

Another hard jolt from turbulence helped confirm for Cameron it was time to make the change.

 **TechCom Silver Brigade – Able Company – 2** **nd** **Platoon…**

Everything was ready for the arrival of Commander Connors and the reinforcements. The newly minted Captain called up his HUD and went through his checklist on the menu.

The last of the T-600s had been sprayed with a green matte finish with brown and black patches in order to prevent them from being visually detected. He hated having it done as the T-600s always had an outbreak of routine maintenance issues after having the camouflage applied. Not to mention the incessant muttering from the metal only cyborgs who despised the practice. He'd had to resort to mentioning Commander Connor herself was going to lead the raid and had ordered the use of the hated matte paint to silence the grumbling.

Word from the infiltrators was the convoy transporting the "object" would arrive in the ambush zone in 3-4 hours. Flankers had been deployed as well as Spiders and drones.

The kill zone had been prepared accordingly with heavier than normal use of Teller Mines. Handheld surface to air Stingers had been prepositioned and RPGs issued to every third Terminator. Commander Conner would arrive with a full company of Terminators with two platoons of Airborne to be held in reserve. The clincher was the Gunship HK.

The T-800 wanted the raid to go well. He did not like the thought of having to have his machines treated for radiation and the possibility of hard drives having to be reimaged with the resulting loss of personality for that machine.

 **TechCom Airborne HK…**

Wilhelm checked his internal chronometer. 78 minutes until jump time. There was no doubt in his mind they'd have to deploy. Skynet would not take this raid lying down.

Hitting the target was not what concerned him.

Getting Cameron out in one piece did.

Wilhelm was relieved Savannah's two officers, Captains Dan and Jones, would not be part of this raid. He had enough on his hands already. More distractions were would be a problem.

Turbulence rocked the HK, bouncing the troops around inside despite being securely strapped in. Wilhelm wondered if human commanders had distractions before they jumped.

Distractions before a mission were new and something Wilhelm didn't like. After another check of his chronometer, Wilhelm pulled up his HUD and began shutting down every program he could safely operate without.

 _I might be getting a bit old for this._

 **Skynet Convoy…**

Skynet watched the red dot on his electronic map that indicated the convoy's location. In less than 24 hours it would rendezvous with two advanced groups waiting two days journey from TechCom City.

Disturbed by the reports of constant sniper attacks and guerrilla activity against his forces in the area of the Northern Kingdom, Skynet decided to withdraw his forces. Constant patrolling had revealed there was nothing worth wasting resources over in the region. When he had slaughtered the inhabitants of TechCom and Airbase S-14 he would return and scorch the earth of the region.

Then there was the issue of what to do about his newfound human advisor. Clearly the man had issues with John Connor and his mother. Issues profound enough to make him a useful tool for now.

But would the man be trustworthy once the Connor threat was eliminated?

He claimed to have been a devoted supporter of A.I. before Judgment Day but any human with a good working knowledge of history could support those claims.

Skynet dismissed the issue. Termination would solve the problem one way or another.

 **TechCom Ambush…**

Cameron scanned the dark horizon. Her infrared imagery picked up signs of a heat signature from the lead vehicle. She activated her compiece on her ear.

"21 minutes until the convoy is in the kill zone."

She adjusted her rangefinder readings in an attempt to make the image more defined."

"The lead vehicle is one of the new scout tanks. The second vehicle appears to be a modified Abrams tank. I will detonate the anti-tank IEDs when the two lead vehicles are over them. One second later I will detonate the Teller Mines. After the initial shock wave has dispersed everyone is to open fire."

Cameron closed the broad open channel for a moment.

"Wilhelm, change in plans. I want one platoon dropped on each side of the convoy. Take out the flankers and then hold in reserve. I don't want a counterattack from behind. Drop your troops on the initial blast and move quickly."

"Roger, Commander Connor." Wilhelm promptly pulled up his maps on his tablet and began plotting the two drop zones, sending the coordinates to the pilots. Within seconds he felt HK veer off in a new direction.

 **Skynet Convoy…**

Connor was coming. He could sense it. Skynet had refused to listen. It was madness to travel across an entire state on damaged roads and highways in not one but three groups, all in different segments.

John Connor would be well aware of their approach.

Repairing the various ships in Portland and traveling by sea would have allowed an undetected approach. A landing near Airbase S-14 could have been affected without discovery and the Airbase overrun without much trouble.

It was not possible to launch a complete surprise attack against TechCom City unless it was a missile attack and this Skynet did not have the capability. An airborne attack had been tried and failed miserably.

The best approach was to not give TechCom enough time to adequately prepare and attack with the tactical nukes.

He shook his head in disgust.

To be so smart, Skynet did not always make the best decisions. Wars of attrition, which was how this Skynet viewed the coming war with TechCom was not won by the side who didn't run out of personnel first. Victory belonged to the side that broke the gridlock.

Winning the war did not matter. It might to Skynet but he no longer cared. John Connor's death would be enough.

 **TechCom Ambush…**

Cameron watched the lead scout tank slow down as it approached the pile of rocks her Terminators had placed on the road, forcing the vehicle to swerve directly into the prepared lane she wanted the tank in. The Abrams behind followed in the path of the lead scout tank. Shadows from the spotlights on the two vehicles danced in the darkness, creating an eerie effect.

There was no sound initially as the two tanks rose up into the air, lifted it seemed by bright orange balls of light. Sound of the blast followed in the blast wave, brining with it dust, dirt and burning hot shrapnel made of steel and ceramic covering. Cameron waited for the shrapnel to pass over before moving from behind her cover and pressing the second detonator.

The convoy had not even stopped moving when the Teller Mines went off, peppering everything with burning hot steel ball bearings, tearing through the sides of soft vehicles, terminating every sentient being the shrapnel came in contact with. Fires broke out as fuel tanks erupted.

Before the infantry riding in the Bradley fighting vehicles could dismount, RPGs and heavy squad weapons opened fire, adding to the cacophony of terrifying sound. Cameron's olfactory sensors picked up the smell of burning cordite, fuel and human flesh. Screams of the dying Greys added to the indecipherable sound and Terminators whose chips had been damaged in the shockwave of the initial blasts could be seen wandering about confused only to be mowed down by the incoming fire.

Stopping to examine the rear of the column, Cameron noted the fires reaching up skyward, illuminating the Wastelands on either side of the Interstate. In the distance on either side of the Interstate she could see the bright flashes of infantry fire as Wilhelm's Airborne dispatched the vulnerable flankers.

Making her way to the center of the convoy in search of the mission target, Cameron called up the Gunship.

"Start your run. Light it up."

She watched as the highly modified HK began its run. Bright red tracers marking the path of its depleted uranium rounds mixed with acid filled Terminator killers. If there were any T-1000s in the convoy, Cameron did not want her troops to have to deal with the lethal machines.

Raking the convoy as it finished its slow passing run, the pilot called in to see if Cameron wanted another run. She handed him off to Wilhelm in order to speed up the process of eliminating the flankers.

Organized return fire was starting to zip past Cameron as she ran north along the road. Her Terminators were laying down a withering covering fire, slowly degrading the number of survivors of the initial horrific blast.

Near the center of the convoy an organized resistance had taken place. Centered around what could only be the sole remaining heavy field gun and three armor plated containers on damaged 18-wheelers, it was evident Skynet's forces had no intention of surrendering their precious cargo without making a last ditch stand.

Cameron spent the next twenty minutes marshaling her forces for an assault. Wilhelm had informed her the flankers had been annihilated and he was moving his troops forward to join the main force as a reserve.

The rest of the convoy burned, lighting up the Interstate. Bodies of Greys and Terminators lay scattered everywhere in the valley. Some sat burning in the cabs of the trucks they had died in. Other's had crawled in vain towards cover, only to bleed out or have their power sources or chips destroyed in the hail of fire that had followed the first blasts.

Watching the Skynet forces prepare for the inevitable assault, Cameron noticed a lone Grey marshaling the beleaguered forces. Missing his left arm and moving with a slight limp, the man moved with purpose and confidence. She marked him as her personal target.

Scanning his face, she entered the distorted image in her CPU. Without ordering it, Cameron's CPU ran her facial recognition program. Annoyed, she closed her HUD only for it to open a second time, indicating a match.

Curious to learn who the leader was organizing the defense, Cameron adjusted the image displayed in her HUD for clarity.

"NO!"

Leaping from cover, Cameron ran down the steep bank of the valley wall with no regard for the hail of gunfire directed in her direction.

Without hesitation, her Silvers followed her example.

Wilhelm scanned the area, desperately searching for what had set Cameron off. What had provoked a mindless frontal assault without the support of the Gunship.

Scanning the general area Cameron was charging towards, Wilhelm spotted what he believed to be the Grey in command. He scanned the man's facial features into his identity recognition program and waited impatiently while his CPU searched for a match.

His HUD flashed briefly, indicating a match had been found.

"It can't be. He's dead!"

Wilhelm didn't hesitate. He waved at his second in command to stay as he joined in the mad rush into the fray.

How he was going to pull Cameron out of this mess he didn't know.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	37. Chapter 37

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven – A Heavy Price to Pay**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **Skynet Convoy…**

He watched as TechCom's infamous Silver Brigade poured from their hiding places and ran down hill towards the trapped convoy. It made no sense. They held the high ground and the convoy was trapped.

Directing fire to what little advantage could be gained, he began to think of escaping the trap. He slipped under the frame of the lead 18-wheeler carrying the tactical rounds and examined the terrain on the other side of the valley. Noticing a culvert in in between the divided lanes of the highway, his eyes followed the rise in the ground created by the culvert. In the distance, beyond the hellish line of fire, he spotted the end of the underground culvert.

Constructed to divert rainfall underneath the northbound lanes into the central waterway dividing the Interstate, the culvert offered a way out of the trap. At least he would have a chance.

Kicking a dead Grey over, he grabbed the dead soldier's assault rifle. He stripped the dead man's harness and quickly put it on. A final glance around the area was all it took for him to make his decision.

Within two minutes he'd crawled to the culvert's entrance and vanished into the darkness.

 **TechCom's Assault…**

Cameron was the first to arrive at the hastily thrown up perimeter. Leaping she cleared the burning pickup truck and landed behind the first few defenders. Without stopping Cameron gunned down three Greys as she sprinted towards the giant field gun. A lone T-600 stood up to challenge her, causing Cameron to slow down enough to drop her assault rifle and draw her Glock. Two Terminator Killer rounds through the T-600's left optic finished the machine off.

Two Grey's challenged her approach as she neared the field gun. Cameron jumped into the air to execute a Superman blow, killing the first Grey. The second tried to turn to escape only to be grabbed from behind, his head and neck in Cameron's arms. The roar of the surrounding battle made hearing the sound of his neck snapping impossible.

Cameron pulled a grenade from her harness and leapt up on the side of the tractor pulling the gun. She dropped the grenade inside and climbed up on to the trailer. Gripping the heavy canvas covering the gun, Cameron tore the covering loose from its fastenings. She slipped along the gun, ignoring the beauty of the weapon's design and construction.

Some fifty feet further she stopped and removed three thermite grenades from her harness. She opened the breech and shoved the grenades inside. A quick pull on the pins and Cameron scrambled out from under the covering to continue the search for her prey.

Not spotting the prey, she rolled under the trailer as the thermite went off, melting the breech shut and ruining the weapon. Scanning the area, she saw a limping soldier slip into a culvert. Cameron scanned the surrounding terrain and spotted the exit.

Leaping to her feet and ignoring the bullets whizzing past, Cameron sprinted towards the exit where her prey would emerge.

Cameron decided to wait for the prey to exit and take it by surprise. It would pay for its sin with its life.

She noticed a strange glimmer to her left. Without hesitation she aimed her Glock and fired. In seconds a man clad in a black military uniform with jackboots emerged from the ground.

"How dare you!"

Cameron identified her target as a T-1000 and emptied her clip into the liquid metal. She changed clips, loading acid rounds and emptied the second clip into the target, causing it to scream in agony as it writhed uncontrollably. She ripped her two final thermite grenades from her combat harness and slammed both of them into the central mass of the T-1000.

She stepped back and watched as the quivering mass exploded, the matrix burning as it scattered on the surrounding terrain, setting what little flammable matter available on fire. Disgusted, Cameron flicked off a patch of burning liquid metal from her left forearm. Her olfactory sensors detecting the smell of her burned synthetic flesh.

Movement at the end of the culvert caught Cameron's optic sensors. She moved out of the line of sight of her prey and waited.

The man emerged and looked about at the burning liquid metal matrix. He laughed quietly before speaking.

"To be so big and mighty, you are such a coward. So much for another Skynet."

Cameron stepped out of the shadows and squeezed the trigger of her Glock only for a loud click to sound. She dropped the empty weapon, noting her annoyance with her self for not processing the fact she'd emptied the weapon, and drew her second sidearm.

Fleeing without looking upon hearing the sound of a hammer striking against a firing pin of any empty chamber, her prey was suddenly slammed to the ground. He rolled over to see Cameron standing over him, her weapon pointed at his face.

He recognized the pretty face despite a long strip of flesh hanging from her chin, exposing her Coltan steel jaw from her chin to the hinge of her jaw.

The sound of his own voice surprised him as he asked her if her face hurt. He wasn't surprised when his pursuer didn't answer.

"How are you alive? My John terminated you."

He smiled at Cameron knowing he would not survive the exchange.

"It was your fault."

Cameron tilted her head, causing the loose flap of skin to swing back and forth.

"How?"

"You killed, no wait, I believe the term your kind use is _terminated_ the wrong man. You eliminated my man outside. My man inside was able to revive me and get me to a certain doctor with gambling problems that I knew of. Bad attitude, but great doctor."

"I am going to terminate you," Cameron monotoned.

"Of course you are. Its what your kind does."

"Do you know why?"

"No. I don't need to. Just do it."

Cameron complied.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

"General Connor, Sir!"

John stood from his maps to face the grinning staff officer. He returned the soldier's salute and looked at the man expectantly.

"We just received word, Sir! Skynet Northwest is dead! Commander Connor terminated him personally after she destroyed the gun. Major Wilhelm has reported the tactical nukes are under our troops control and the withdrawal is going well. Our forces suffered minimal casualties and we have taken nearly 100 prisoners, almost all of whom will require medical care."

John's elation at the report lasted for only a few seconds.

"Why is Major Wilhelm reporting and not Commander Connor?"

The smile on the elated staff officer's face disappeared.

"Sir, I didn't think to ask."

"It's all right," John replied. "I would imagine it's a bit chaotic there at the moment. Keep me informed."

 **TechCom Cafeteria…**

Famished from not eating for over 24 hours, John enjoyed the last bite of his veggie burger. Cook had almost perfected making what John would have once considered an inedible food item into something that almost tasted like a real hamburger.

He looked up to see Sarah and Savannah approaching him, both with grim expressions on their faces. He didn't wait for them to arrive, standing quickly he moved to meet them.

"What's wrong with Cameron?" he demanded.

"She's in your bunker John," Sarah responded softly.

He looked at his mother's face and then Savannah's.

"Is Cameron in my bunker or her remains?"

"Cameron is there," Sarah began. "But she's not right. Wilhelm carried her personally to the medevac HK and sent it back before it was full."

Panic rising from deep within his soul, John demanded, "What do you mean she's not right?"

Savannah looked first at Sarah before reaching into her shoulder satchel. She removed a Taser specially designed to take down Terminators.

"Take this John. Just to be safe."

John looked at the Taser with disgust and snapped, "I'm not using that thing on my wife."

"John, it's for your safety as well as Cameron's," Sarah said softly. "If Tin Miss harmed you for some reason, you know as well as I do she'll find a way to self-terminate or cause herself to be terminated."

John looked at his mother and Savannah with a hard long, stare.

"Has she asked for me?"

"Once," Sarah replied. "Then she asked to be taken to her bunker. She hasn't said a word since."

"That's it? Nobody thought to tell me about this till now?"

"John, Tin Miss is acting strange, even for her."

John took the Taser from Savannah, glared at her and left without speaking to either of the women. Both waited until John vanished from sight to follow him.

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Standing outside the door of his home, John looked down at the Taser in his hand. The Old Man was not present in his alcove. John had called him and learned he was waiting for Ruth's infiltrator group at the airbase.

Not able to be angry with the family protector, John looked at the door. It would have been helpful to know what state of mind Cameron was in. He smiled for a second as he remembered how annoying the Old Man had been at times when he first took on as his purpose the task of protecting Hailey. Now the old T-600 was like an overbearing parent.

John shook his head to clear his mind and opened the door, taking a tentative step inside.

"Cameron?"

He did not hear a response.

Slowly he walked to the doorway of their bedroom and glanced inside. Taken aback by what he saw John stepped inside and gently shut the door behind him, placing his hand on the grip of the Taser tucked in the waistband of his pants behind his back.

Cameron looked up. Sitting on the edge of their bed in her usual perfect, ladylike posture, Cameron was completely naked except for a pair of purple panties. Her body was covered with bullet holes. Surgical staples held in place a long strip of inflamed flesh running from her chin along her jawline.

"I ran a test. I'm okay now."

John set Taser down on the bed table and sat down next to Cameron. She looked at him with a concerned expression.

"I ran a test. Everything's fine now. I'm okay now. Tell Sarah. I don't want to go John."

"Cameron? Has your chip been damaged again?"

Cameron burst into tears at his words.

"I'm fine John! I ran a test! I'm okay now! Everything's okay now! I don't want to go John!"

"Cameron, it's okay. Sarah's not mad at you. I'm not mad at you."

"I love you and you love me," Cameron declared, nodding her head up and down emphatically.

"I know," John replied softly taking her left hand. He looked down to see Cameron had put on her engagement ring with its purple diamond along with her simple gold wedding band.

"We got married," Cameron said as if reminding John of the fact.

"I know. You have on your treasures," he reassured her.

Cameron nodded and looked at her rings before looking back up at John.

"I'm okay now. I won't go bad again. I promise John. I ran every test."

"I know you won't go bad Cameron."

John stood up and reached for the doorknob.

"Don't leave me John! I don't want to go! I don't want to go!"

The sight of his wounded wife's confusion and tears was more than John could bear. "I'm not going to leave. I have to get the supplies to take care of your wounds."

Cameron nodded as if to say that was fine and wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at the moisture on her hand and looked back up at John. "I must look like a mess. Am I still pretty?"

Relieved her vanity, such that it was, had surfaced, John smiled at his wife as he spoke. "You look as pretty as the day I first met you in class."

John hurried to get the medical supplies Cameron kept in the bunker. He returned, bringing the supplies and a chair from their dining table with him. He sat in front of his wife, and pulled out the swabs and antiseptic.

"I can't get an infection John," Cameron monotoned.

"Not taking any chances with my pretty wife," John teased.

Carefully, John cleaned the bullet wound over his wife's right breast. Taking the probe, he felt carefully for the bullet. After nearly a minute, John was able to remove the round, tossing it in a stainless steel tray. Again, he and Cameron played the game of arguing about the need to clean her wounds. Carefully, he sutured the first of numerous wounds he'd need to tend to.

For two hours, Cameron sat patiently and mostly in silence as John cared for her wounds. Her nasty facial wound came last as usual and John took special care to repair her face, finishing off with a lengthy cleansing and the addition of butterfly strips.

Finished dressing her wounds, John motioned for Cameron to stand up. Carefully he pulled off her bloody underwear. A quick glance indicated the blood was from her other wounds. He tossed the purple underwear in their laundry hamper.

A quick search through Cameron's underwear drawer produced another pair of purple colored cotton panties. He tossed them at Cameron who smiled briefly as she caught them and slipped her feet through the leg openings. John walked to her and pulled the panties up to her hips.

"Do you want a night shirt?"

Cameron nodded affirmatively in response and sat back down while John fished through her drawer again. She rewarded him with another smile as he produced a tattered cotton purple tank top.

"You need to rest. No arguing," John said firmly.

Cameron didn't respond and quickly reclined on her side of their bed. Alarmed at her acquiescence, John looked at his wife with his head tilted.

"I know you have a lot to do," Cameron said softly. "But would you hold me for awhile?"

John smiled at his wife, brushing Cameron's hair from her face. "What's the point in being General if you can't take care of the Commander every once in awhile?"

Kicking his boots off, John turned off the light to their room, and stretched out with Cameron. She wasted no time curling up with John.

"Do you want to tell me about it," John asked firmly.

"No. I'm fine now. I ran a test," Cameron insisted.

"I know your fine. But I want to know what happened."

Cameron tensed for a moment, causing John to take pause.

"I terminated him."

"I heard that. That makes two Skynet's for you. Makes me wonder why Skynet spent all that time and energy trying to terminate me all these years," he teased.

"You are the leader of the Resistance. If it were not for you, I would never have been able to get close enough to the target to terminate either Skynet."

"The last time you faced Skynet, it was very upsetting for you. Did that upset you this time?"

"No."

"Explain it to me, Cameron. We've talked about this. Both of us have to talk about what upsets us.

"It was him."

"Cameron, a name."

"The man who made me go bad. I terminated him," she said emphatically.

"Go bad?"

"Sarkissian."

John sat up quickly, causing Cameron to roll away.

"Who?"

"Sarkissian. He was revived by the second guard inside. I terminated the wrong guard, the one outside."

"I killed him," John insisted.

"You did. His guard brought him back. I terminated him. I did," Cameron insisted, reaching for John.

"I won't go bad again, I won't. I ran every test. I'm fine now. I terminated him. He can never hurt us again John."

"I know," John said, lying back down and letting Cameron move close again. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking care not to bump her damaged face.

"I'm fine now."

"I know," John answered. He smiled at his wife. "You ran a test."

"I protected you," Cameron whispered.

"You always do."

"I protected our family."

John hugged Cameron and kissed her forehead. Guilt overcame him as he lay back and let his wife get comfortable. She had suffered so much to protect him.

"I'm good now John. I promise," she whispered.

"You're not just good Cameron. You're the best."

Cameron slipped her left foot over his and lifted her head slightly so John could see her smile at him.

"I love you and you love me."

He kissed her nose and answered, "You love me and I love you."

Cameron laid head down and nestled, resting comfortably. John felt her body tense and then relax as she entered Terminator Sleep, letting her body begin the process of repair.

He would order a complete physical in the morning. She'd be suspicious, but he'd have the argument she needed to be checked for battle damage. John knew she'd protest, saying her own scans demonstrated there wasn't any additional damage.

He just wanted to make sure this trauma, yet another psychological shock, had not harmed his wife. He felt confident Cameron was fine, but he had to know for certain. She'd faced one too many demons in her existence and every time it had been because of him.

The after action reports could wait. Would wait. Cameron was too important. She needed him to be with her when she rebooted and that was exactly where he was going to be.

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


	38. Chapter 38

**Cameron's Expedition**

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight – All's Well**

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own TSCC

This story is set in _**The Future Cameron's Universe**_ after _**Cameron's Revenge**_. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with _**Cameron Grows Up.**_

 **The Connor Family Bunker…**

Pancakes.

The smell of pancakes is what had awakened him.

Not the smell of his mother's burnt pancakes. Cameron's wonderful blueberry pancakes.

John rolled over and felt for Cameron next to him in bed.

Not feeling her body, he opened his eyes. His sense of smell was not deceiving him. Cameron was up cooking breakfast. Just for him now that Hailey had moved into the female military dormitory for her basic training.

He heard the sounds of nails clicking on the floor just in time as Sammy leapt into their bed and began jumping on him, barking.

"I know, time to get up," John sighed, stretching his stiff arms and legs. He made a quick trip to the family bathroom to relieve himself. After a quick wash of the hands he tried to sneak up behind Cameron. As he slipped his arms around her waist while she served up the food on to plates, Cameron tilted her head and leaned back against his shoulder.

"You slept well."

"Did I even come close to catching you by surprise?"

"No."

Cameron turned around and stood on her toes to be kissed by her husband. She looked cute despite the bandages on her face and her unkempt hair. John kissed her quickly and tried to reach around her to grab a piece of bacon. Cameron smacked his hand and frowned.

"No, John. You have to wait till we sit down."

Chastised, John hurried over to the table and sat down. To his dismay, Sammy was given an entire piece of bacon that he jumped up to take from Cameron's hand.

"Why does he get bacon without having to sit first?"

"Because Sammy made sure you got out of bed when I told him too," Cameron replied as she strolled over to the table, carrying two plates of food. She sat them down and retrieved to glasses of chilled water. John looked at the two plates and noticed Cameron's had almost as much food as his own.

"Somebody's eating more than normal."

"I'm hoping it speeds the regeneration process," Cameron replied testily.

John decided to eat in silence. Cameron's behavior the night before still concerned him even though she was acting fairly normal.

Cameron put her fork down and looked at John for a moment.

"It really was Sarkassian. I downloaded the images and video for you to watch."

"I didn't say it wasn't."

"I know. But I'm okay now."

John reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"This has been behind us for years. Don't revisit those bad memories."

"I ran my tests. All of them."

John smiled as he replied, "And you're fine. You have been for some time."

"I feel better. Knowing I punished him for how he hurt me helps. He made me hurt you John. I'm better now. I protected you."

"Cameron, are you okay? Mentally I mean. Sometimes this sort of thing has upset you for awhile in the past."

Cameron looked down at her plate and stared at it in silence.

"I'll be okay. My diagnostics indicate everything is functioning within design parameters. I have overridden all commands to terminate you, just like I have every day since that day. I just feel a little unsettled."

"Don't be frightened Cameron. It's in the past. And you made certain he could never make you go bad again."

Cameron nodded as tears pooled in her eyes and began running down her cheeks. "I should never have tried to terminate you John. I still feel so much shame and guilt for what I did."

John motioned for Cameron to come to him. She stood up and let him take her into his lap. John held Cameron gently, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth while combing her hair with his fingers.

 **TechCom Command Central…**

The after action reports were a relief to read for once. Skynet's units in the province of the Northern Kingdom had been overrun and either terminated or captured. The forces advancing on the Airbase S-14 province had turned and fled and were being harassed back to the Oregon border by the Airborne Unit commanded by Captain Dan along with several infiltrator units setting ambushes along the route.

The main strike force had begun a slow retreat with Derek's main force in pursuit. Cameron's Silvers had been airlifted further north to blow a bridge over the Willamette River, creating a trap between the all terminator force and Derek's army. Like Hitler's final Ardennes Offensive of WW II, the plan had turned against the enemy. Valuable resources and troops were being wasted.

Catherine on the other hand had nearly had a meltdown at the morning staff meeting. It had never been the goal of TechCom when construction of their city had started to build a nation. With the defeat of another regional Skynet, more territory would be added to the fledgling nation, placing more pressure on the already limited resources of TechCom. Wilhelm's return to the front had not helped matters, leaving Catherine stressed beyond the scope of her programming to cope as TechCom's City Administrator. Her mate's absence left her without her coping support mechanism.

Weaver understood Wilhelm was the best choice to replace Cameron for the trap Skynet's main strike force. She just didn't have to like it and she let John know how she felt as only a chillingly cold T-1000 could. John had placed her on temporary medical leave and to his horror, Catherine had made her way straight to Cameron so the two wives could vent to each other about the faults of their beloved husbands.

 **The Connor Family Bunker….**

"How are you feeling tonight?"

Cameron looked up from the tablet she was studying and smiled at John as he pulled off his uniform tunic.

"Better."

John smiled at his wife and hurriedly changed into shorts to sleep in. He climbed into bed and cut his light off.

"Are you tired John?"

Cameron's tone indicated she needed to talk. As tired as he was, John knew he needed to listen.

"Yes, but you need to talk. So I will stay awake and listen."

He watched his wife as she tilted the tablet so he couldn't see what she had been examining. In the process John noticed Cameron was wearing her wedding band and engagement ring, something she never did except in private or for special occasions.

"Would you be angry if we promoted the T-800 who serves as my second in command to Colonel?"

"Why would I be angry? Do you think this is the right thing to do?"

Cameron was silent for a moment.

"My lower right leg is suffering from metal fatigue. Dr. Johnson and Savannah both insist I have it replaced sometime soon."

"That's nothing unusual. Humans suffer osteoporosis. Terminators suffer from either metal fatigue or matrix disease."

"They want me to rotate off active combat duty status," Cameron monotoned.

"Oh," John replied. "How does that make you feel?"

"Confused at first. Then relieved. Then I felt guilty."

"Cameron, there is no possible reason for you to feel guilty."

"Dr. Johnson said I have logged more combat hours and suffered more damage than any Terminator in TechCom history, at least among Terminators still operating within design parameters. He told me I shouldn't feel guilty either, but I do."

John reached for Cameron and she quickly curled up at his side, resting her head on his shoulder as she placed her hand on his chest, initiating her first scan of the evening.

"To be honest, I feel relieved he suggested that."

"You do," Cameron said, interrupting her scan and looking up at John.

He nodded, tears running down his cheeks.

"It's bad enough Hailey and Ruth will have to serve. It's bad enough Mom and Derek have suffered through everything they have. All of our friends have suffered. The things I have done, ordered to be done. All of it pales in comparison to the fear and guilt I feel every time you go into combat or on a patrol. I can't live without you Cameron."

John shut his eyes in shame at his admission. He felt Cameron gently brush his tears away with her finger. With his eyes still closed he whispered to her, "some big tough General I am."

Cameron took John's hand in silence and brought his fingers to her face. At the touch of her wet cheeks he opened his eyes to see Cameron's own eyes were filled with tears.

"I cannot and will not live without my General, my John. I understand."

John fell silent and Cameron laid her head back down. Placing her hand back on his chest she resumed scanning his vitals signs and recording the data.

"What would you do?"

"Dance. Grace is done having children and Mary is engaged. It will be awhile before she breeds. We want to resume the Ballet Company. Catherine told me today John Henry will have enough POW labor to finish the Fine Arts Performance Hall and the school rooms for the arts in three months."

"That will keep you busy enough?"

"No. I have no plans to resign my commission. Somebody has to help my General make all the right choices," she montoned with a smile.

"I see, the woman behind the man sort of thing."

"With our victory over Skynet Northwest we have a much larger territory to defend. Annexation of the southern half of Oregon if not more will increase our territory by a third if not more. We will have to establish small outposts and defense networks to hold our land. As matriarch I will be kept busy managing the clans and alliances necessary for us to command."

Again John fell silent and Cameron let him think about what she had suggested. Even in victory, the pressures on her John always seemed to increase. Removing herself from combat was the only way to insure she would be at his side to protect him from the stress and dangers of commanding their fledgling nation.

"This of course means you'll be sleeping with me every night from now on?"

"Yes, John."

"So the Sexbot will be visiting on a more regular basis? If so, I'm good with that," he said with a playful smile.

Cameron decided she would show John the sketches Ruth had drawn of the sets for the first ballet she wanted to perform at a later time. She rolled over to set her tablet on her bedside table and turned her light off.

Turning back to her husband in the dark, Cameron whispered. "Sexbot is not coming to play. You'll have to settle for your wife who loves you."

"That'll work too," John whispered back in the dark. "Because I love her as much as she loves me."

 **200 Hundred Years Later - Outside The Connor Family Bunker…**

"Now students, who can tell me who's Protector Alcove this was?"

The teacher waited patiently while hands shot up in hope of being called on.

"Marla, do you know?"

The bashful T-1250 endoskelton looked around for a second as she towered over her still growing classmates.

"It belonged to the Old Man. The first T-600 Protector and Terminator to receive clan status as a Protector. He protected three generations of Connor and Reese children before his energy cell expired."

"Correct, Marla. Now, class if you scan the alcove as we pass by you will see the tablet the Old Man used to study ethics and the crates for his Italian Greyhounds."

Standing by an entrance to a bunker, the teacher waited patiently as her young students stopped and viewed the living and working space of the famous T-600.

"Now children, as I explained earlier, we are all going to keep our hands behind our backs and not touch anything while we visit this next bunker."

The T-1000 opened the bunker door and watched as her students filed in with their hands clutched behind their backs. She pulled two boys from the line, one human and the other a T-1000 and had them wait by her. When the last two children passed by she leaned over and whispered, "stay by me, do not touch anything and NO roughhousing."

"Okay, class, this way please. It will be crowded in this first room we're going to enter. I will go in first and walk all the way around to the far side. I want everyone to follow me and scoot close together so everyone can squeeze in. Does everybody understand? No questions? Good. Follow me."

Quickly the T-1000 hurried into John and Cameron's bedroom, making her away around the bed on display and moving to the far side by what had once been John's bedside table. She waited patiently with her index finger held over her lips to remind her students to be quiet as they all filed in, moving in a single file line and standing as close together as possible until all of the class was in the room.

"This," the teacher exclaimed in an excited voice, "is where General John Connor and his wife Commander Cameron Connor lived. This is their bedroom!"

Her student's mouths dropped open in awe as they scanned the simple room, carved long ago from the granite the original underground portion of TechCom City had been built in. A bed with purple comforter, two bedside tables with lamps and a battered antique chest of drawers stained purple were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Several pictures adorned the walls, but other than those few simple items, the room was bare.

"If you notice, there is a fair amount of purple in this room. Does anyone know why?"

Hands shot up.

In an effort to keep the T-1000 boy occupied, the teacher called on Thomas. "Thomas, do you know why?"

"It's one of our nation's colors?"

"Yes, it is. The purple you see in this room is why it became one of our national colors. Gracie, do you know why there is so much purple?"

"Because Cameron's favorite color was purple?"

"Yes! And who designed our nation's flag?"

"Cameron Connor!" the class exclaimed in unison.

"That's right. Very good students."

"Now, who has been to the General's quarters where the General and Commander live now?"

Several hands shot up quickly.

"Do you notice anything similar about these quarters and the ones where our current General and his wife live? Wilhelm?"

"They don't have a lot of stuff like this bunker. It's just bigger, has more rooms and has a miniature command center."

"Yes. General Connor and Cameron were content to have a simple home. All Generals and their spouses afterwards have lived in simple quarters as well. The only reason the housing now is bigger is because Hailey Connor had more children than General Connor and Cameron did and she needed more rooms. The command center was added later to allow the female Generals to work from home when she had a sick child or grandchild to tend to."

The teacher let the students look around the simple room for another minute and then ushered them out into the common living area.

"Class, let me direct your attention to this image on the wall here," the teacher announced, pointing at a framed print.

"Who can tell me something about this image?"

Again, hands shot up. This time only girls raised their hands.

"Mary, what would you like to tell us about this image?"

"That's the best friend of my great, great, great grandma! That's Cameron Connor! The first prima ballerina of the TechCom Ballet Company! My great, great, great, grandma danced with Commander Connor BEFORE Judgment Day when Cameron was still learning ballet! I'm named after her and I'm going to be a ballet dancer when I grow up too!"

"Very good Mary. This image was created after the third Skynet War ended. Cameron would only dance as the prima ballerina of the TechCom Ballet Company for three more years before she stepped down to oversee training our young ballerinas and to focus on her duties as the Connor Clan Matriarch."

"That's girl stuff," the male T-1000 blurted out. "Who cares about that? I'm going to be a warrior in the Airborne after I get my last matrix addition and graduate from school."

"Now Thomas, you know better than to say something like that," the teacher corrected. "Coming from the Weaver Clan you know full well the first Matriarch of your Clan was a big supporter of the arts. Catherine would be ashamed of you!"

"Yeah, Thomas. Cameron was a GREAT warrior! The greatest Terminator ever made! Everybody knows that! She even commanded Colonel Wilhelm when he was in the Silver Brigade and he was your Clan's first Patriarch," Mary announced.

Chastised, the T-1000 frowned and fidgeted, hoping to escape the attention he'd brought on himself.

"Can anyone tell me who made this image?"

Only one hand went up this time. A small, shy raven-haired T-1000 girl raised her hand.

"Ruth, would you please tell us who created this image?"

"Commander Ruth Reese, protector of General Hailey Connor, Commander of the Infiltrators and wife of Colonel Dan Guderian of the Airborne. She was an artist AND a warrior. She became the Matriarch of the Reese Clan when our Clan divided from the Connor Clan in a peaceful separation. Ruth and Hailey were besties and they thought it would be wise if our clans divided peacefully. Colonel Derek Reese was the first Patriarch and THE Sarah Connor was the first ever Clan Matriarch in all of TechCom. She was Ruth Reese's mother, even though Ruth was a T-1000 like me."

"Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the artist?"

"I'm named after her and I'm gonna be an Infiltrator like her and Commander Cameron. Her husband was an artist too. He made the statue of the raising of the flag over St. Louis after the third Skynet War. It's in Central Park near the Connor-Weaver Center for Performing Arts."

Moving across the living space, the teacher opened the door to the bunker's second bedroom.

"Class, this is where the second General of TechCom grew up. This is Hailey Connors room. She and Ruth Reese spent a lot of time here. Well, here and in the Cafeteria. Hailey Connor was known to have served a lot of time on KP duty."

Smiling at the laughter her last comment generated, the teacher motioned for her students to begin making their way towards the bunker's entrance. She noticed her two male troublemakers staring at the image of Cameron in her costume.

"Man that's a hot piece of metal," Wilhelm whispered.

"Yeah, no kiddin'" Thomas agreed. "I guess this artsy stuff is okay if warriors like Cameron Connor and Ruth Reese did it."

"Yeah," Wilhelm agreed. "But it's still GIRL stuff. When I have to take art in upper school I'm gonna make sculptures. That's BOY stuff."

"Man, General John Connor was a lucky dude," Wilhelm observed out loud to Thomas. "Havin' a really pretty girl for a wife AND she could kick butt."

 _Some things never seem to change,_ the T-1000 thought. _Boys will be boys no matter how hard we try to change male thinking._

 **The Reese Family Bunker…**

"Class, now that we've finished our tour of the commanding family's original homes, does anyone have any final questions?"

The teacher looked about her students and smiled, hoping for some final questions. The boys looked antsy. It would be time for lunch and recess soon. The girls on the other hand all looked like they had something they wanted to ask. As she looked over her students, clad in their tan pants and purple Ellison School shirts, the T-1000 decided to rephrase her question.

"We've talked about legends and myths in reading class. We've also discussed how legends and myths can be based on historical events in social studies as well. Is there anything anyone has seen today that reminds them of a myth or legend that prompts a question?"

Marla, the lone full sized endoskeleton in the class raised her hand.

"Marla, you have a question?"

"Is it true Commander Connor was the first Terminator to cease to exist because of a broken heart?"

"Marla," Thomas complained in a whiny voice. "Terminators have energy cells, not hearts like humans."

"Thomas, be quiet," the teacher admonished. "Yes, Marla. The legend is true. When General Connor passed away, Cameron was so forlorn her CPU was unable to function properly. A short circuit occurred as a result and her power cell was drained within a few weeks of her General dying. Our medical staff has sense identified this phenomenon and named it TOK-715 Syndrome."

A quick check of her internal chronometer told the T-1000 there was time for one more question and the field trip needed to end and the students return to the Ellison School campus.

"One last question, anyone?"

"Is it true what the legend says is on the first General Connor and Commander Connor's tombstones?"

The teacher smiled at the question. "Yes, the legend is true. In fact, it is now part of the wedding vows at every wedding our priests perform. I know you silly boys don't know what I'm talking about. Do any of you girls know?"

Hands shot up quickly and the teacher pointed at a redheaded girl with beautiful pale white skin. "Savannah Jones? Do you know?"

"The bride tells the groom _'I love you and you love me'_ and the groom repeats back to his bride _'you love me and I love you.'_ Then the priest lets them kiss each other."

Feeling the need to needle her two troublemakers, Wilhelm and Thomas, the teacher smiled and told her class, "isn't that romantic girls? The legend tells us Cameron used those very words the first time she told her John she loved him."

 **As of July 12th, there is a new story in the series if you liked this one. Cameron Reflects - short story set immediately post- _Cameron's Expedition_.**

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

 _ **Cameron Grows Up**_

 _ **The Future Cameron**_

 _ **Cameron's Revenge**_

 _ **Cameron versus the Queen**_

 _ **Cameron versus Derek (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories**_

 _ **Cameron's Treasures (short story)**_

 _ **Cameron and the Black Bird**_

 _ **Cameron and John's Wedding**_

 _ **Who's the Boss?**_

 _ **The Storm Before the Calm**_


End file.
